Percy and Harry: 1602
by Arthur Drakoni
Summary: The year is 1602 and demigods Perseo Jackson and Annabeth Chase have been dispatched by Queen Isabella to kill Queen Elizabeth, but can Harry Potter and company stop this plot, and how do Roberto Pendraco and New World girl Kot-Niz fit into all this?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey Guys! So I know I should be working the PenJackson series, and don't worry I'm still working on it, but I had this great idea after reading Neil Gaiman's Marvel: 1602 series and I had to get some of it out of my system. So enjoy! =) **

_Royal Palace, Madrid, Spain, 1602_

As Annabeth Chase strolled thru the streets of the grand Spanish capitol city of Madrid she marveled at home much had changed ever since the Great Revelation. The Great Revelation had been (as far as demigods had been able to tell) when the Mist, that substance the hid the world of Greek myths from the mortal world, had vanished, and thus mortals became aware of Greek myths being true. At the same time, it turned out there was also a secret world of wizards and witches that was also separate from the mortal (or muggle, as the wizards called them) world; after the Great Revelation people had given up on the old faiths like Christianity, so gone were the wars of Catholics and Protestants, but now countries either allied themselves with the demigods or the wizards.

Fortunately, Queen Isabella's father, King Phillip II, had been a man of sensibility and had allied Spain with the demigods (which was fitting, as Mt. Olympus was now located in Spain, being the heart of the west and all), while England had side with the wizards. Decades before Annabeth or any of her friends had been born, Spain had tried to conquer England and convert them to the side of the demigods; although Spain had a mighty armada, the English wizards were crafty and had forced the armada to circle around the islands and regroup in Spain. The problem was, the Scottish and Irish coast were amongst rough seas and many ships had been lost; none the less, with the help of the demigods the Spanish had returned and made landfall, but the English had managed to repel them (though just barely) and the war was brought to an uneasy end.

Though Annabeth and her good friend (and possible boyfriend, though not that she'd ever admit it) Perseo Jackson were only sixteen, they had caught the Queen's attention as some of the most promising demigods (or Mestizos, as they were sometimes called) at Campamento Mestizo, they had been called to court for a special audience with her majesty. Fortunately, Perseo had actually remembered to be on time, and more importantly hadn't gotten distracted by any of the Madrid girls (which was a plus, in Annabeth's opinion anyway).

As the two of them were lead into the palace by royal guards they marveled at how King Phillip II (who had moved the royal court to Madrid) had spared no expense building a magnificent palace; the gardens and landscaping were perfect, the courtyard was expansive and seemed big enough to swallow an entire city and have room for more, the palace itself was elegant and adored with statues of Greek gods and goddesses, past kings and queens, and demigods (the last of which had replaced the statues of saints, which had been torn down after the Great Revelation). Before long Annabeth and Perseo found themselves standing before Queen Isabella herself in the royal throne room.

"Your majesty, it is truly an honor," said Perseo as he bowed in respect.

"Truly the honor is mine Don Jackson. Tell me, is what they say of you retreating Zeus's master bolt when you were but twelve true?" asked Queen Isabella.

"Well, I might have had a little help," chuckled Perseo in Annabeth direction.

"Try a lot of help…I am most sorry you highness, I have spoken out of turn," said Annabeth.

Queen Isabella help up her hand, "You need not be, gods know Spain needs more independent young girls like you. Now we just need…ah, that would be them now."

Entering the room was a boy who looked slightly older than Perseo and Annabeth; he had brown hair and brown eyes, he was dressed in simple cloths, and on his finger was a ring with ten symbols surrounding a gray stone in the center. Joining the boy was an orange cat that walked on its hind legs and wore a cavalier's hat, a black cape, and a pair of boots.

"I'm sure you're both familiar with Puss in Boots, and allow me to introduce you to Roberto Pendraco," said Queen Isabella.

Perseo frowned at Puss, "Shouldn't you be dead by now?"

"Cats have nine lives my friend!" laughed Puss.

"Now then, Roberto and Puss have been recruited for their experience with the English, and that brings us to why you have been called to court; our spies in England inform us that Queen Elizabeth has been restored to full health by her court wizards and is likely to reign for several more years in good health. This poses a problem because if Elizabeth were to die King James of Scotland would be crowned king of both England and Scotland, and more importantly he would bring his hatred of muggle born wizards with him to England," said Queen Isabella.

"You wish to turn the English wizards against one another…so that England would be weaker, and Spain would be able to conquer England more easily!" exclaimed Annabeth.

"Exactly! What I ask of you is to help me finish the work started by my father. What I ask of you is to assassinate the English queen so that Spain may rule England!"

Ω

_Hampton Court, England, 1602_

Dr. Dumblethor, the chief court wizard, was having a private audience with Queen Elizabeth in the royal banquet hall of Hampton Court.

"I say Elizabeth, that roasted beef with…potatoes, I believe they were, was simply scrumptious," said Dr. Dumblethor.

"Only the best of an old friend like you Albus," said Queen Elizabeth.

"Now before you bring out the wine I must know, what purpose have you called me for?"

"Why Albus, is it so hard to believe that I could have dinner with you and ask for nothing in return?"

The expression on Dr. Dumblethor's face turned serious, "These are strange times we find ourselves in Elizabeth; I would be truly surprised if you were not concerned."

Queen Elizabeth sighed with defeat, "You know me well Albus. There have been reports from our colonies in the New World of strange weather, and it appears to be coming closer to Europe with each passing day."

Dr. Dumblethor studded the runic patterns carved into his gnarled walking cane, "I only wish I knew the answer, but alas, that is something that demands more study. Perhaps we ought to concern ourselves with the arrival of the envoys from Spain and Scotland."

"Perhaps if you and your students were dispatched on an expedition to the New World you could find the source of these occurrences, but you are right. For now we'll focus on the visitors…who shall arrive by tomorrow."

"I have already arranged for a team of my students to meet them in London."

Ω

_London, England, 1602_

Harry Potter and his friends Ronald Wesley and Hermione Granger stood on the dockside of the river Thames, he thought to himself about what a lovely city London was an what a shame it would be if it were to burn down in a fire or something to that effect. He wasn't sure why, but for some reason the year 1666 came to mind whenever he thought of London burning.

"I'm hungry. Can I get something to eat at the pub?" asked Ronald.

"You just had lunch two hours ago!" exclaimed Hermione.

"But that was ages ago! I'm still hungry!"

"It can wait Ronald, it appears the Spaniards have arrived," said Harry as a Spanish Galleon sped down the Thames at a rate much too fast for an average ship.

The Galleon perfectly docked next to where they were standing, and soon after that the crew began unloading; a boy of about sixteen (Harry, Ronald, and Hermione's age) with black hair and sea-green eyes, and dressed in bronze Spanish style armor step forward with an outstretched hand.

"¡Saludos amigos! ¡Soy Perseo Jackson, y tengo mucho hambre! ¿No iba a pasar a tener nada que comer?" said the boy.

"Please excuz mi amigo. He es, how jou say… no very good with the Inglés," said a blonde haired girl of about the boy's age.

The blonde girl pulled the dark haired boy aside and they bickered in rapid-fire Spanish with one another, until finally they came to somewhat of a mutual agreement.

"I es muy sorry about that. My name es Annabeth Chase, y this es mi amigo Perseo Jackson. Joining us en un momento will be Roberto Pendraco y Puss en Boots, I think jou will be able to tell who is who," said the blonde girl.

"How you doing mates, I'm Robert Pendragon," said Roberto, as if he'd been speaking English his entire life.

"Where'd you learn to speak such muy Ingles amigo?" asked Puss.

Roberto looked like he'd been caught off guard, "Oh you know…my mother, she was very English."

"Right, well then I suppose we ought to make our way to Hampton Court. I assume you'll be able to aid our craft's journey good Sir Perseo?" asked Harry.

"¡Si amigo!" replied Perseo after Annabeth whispered to him what Harry had said.

"Well if that's everything then…" but before Hermione could finish, an old Spanish knight in rusted armor leaped forth from the galleon on a horse that was most thin and spindly.

"Beware evil doers! For I am Don Quixote, the Lord of La Mancha! Going to rid all the evil in the world, in the name of his majesty King Phillip of Spain!" declared the eccentric knight-errant.

"But I thought Isabella was the queen of Spain," said Ronald.

"She es, but she incented we bring him along with us. To amuse jour queen jou ce," said Annabeth.

"I've read about him before, Cervantes wrote about this Don Quixote fellow, didn't he?" asked Hermione.

"Si, Miguel de Cervantes es the greatest writer in all of Españia, next to Sen͂or Riordan; he was from Ireland originally, but moved to Españia after…"

"After us Englishmen took it over!" said Ronald with uber jingoism.

"Jes…well es time we got moving, no?"

"Jolly right! Shouldn't keep her majesty waiting," said Harry, hopping he could do his best to distract everyone from Ronald's remark.

Ω

_Hampton Court, England, 1602_

The trip seemed, in Perseo's opinion anyway, to take forever. His teacher Chiron had once told him that like all Mestizos he suffered from something called ADHD; even though the court physicians of Queen Isabella hadn't been able to tell him what that meant, he trusted that Chiron knew what he was talking about. On the way to Hampton Court, Annabeth and Hermione had tried to teach him some English with varying degrees of success.

"English is so hard! Why can't everyone just learn Spanish?" whispered Perseo to Annabeth.

"Soon enough they will, but for now we have to keep up the act," whispered Annabeth.

Presently the imposing structure of Hampton Court loomed into view, its splendor just as glorious as when Henry VIII himself presided over it.

"Aye, aye, aye, that's big!" marveled Puss.

"But of course, with his majesty's royal entourage of over 1,000 it was a necessity," explained Hermione.

"I doth like the royal kitchens! The goodly king did build them to satisfy his most gargantuan appetite, and still they makes the most goodly dishes within it they do!" added Ronald.

"I have no idea what you just said!" said Perseo.

"He said the king was a fatso who liked to eat, and apparently liked getting laid as well," whispered Roberto.

"Speak thou of some manner?" inquired Hermione.

"I said…does England have any colonies in the New World? You know that Spain has many such colonies in the New World and beyond, and we were just wondering if England has made any progress," said Roberto hastily.

"Quite. We dist first colonize the land newly found, and see fit to name it Newfoundland. We then dist seek riches of gold and jewels as you Spaniards dist find in thy colonies of the New World, and though our fair colony of Roanoke hath not bequeath such wonders, it doth give us most fine Tabaco. Though I might not care for it, many of the upper classes throughout Europe, and especially the Ottoman Turks, are most found of it and pay most goodly profit for it."

"And how long have you owned this colony of Roanoke?" asked Annabeth.

"About seventeen years, and we have a most delightful visitor from the colony waiting at court. Her name tis Rachel Elizabeth Dare, she tis sixteen years of age and the first child born of the Roanoke colony," explained Harry.

As they were being lead into to impressive palace, it occurred to Perseo and Annabeth that the colonial girl's name was familiar, as if she was a long forgotten friend, and try as they might they could not bring themselves to shake this notion. As they made their way into the castle's great hall they were greeted by a fellow of obvious noble stature, with dark hair and goatee, and whom seemed to constantly wear a sour expression on his face.

"Greetings to you all, I am Edmund, Lord Blackadder. Her majesty has charged me to…"

"Oi Blackadder, get with the time. No one doth speak in that manner in this day!" chastised Hermione.

"Tis true, the way thou doth speak tis so Middle Ages!" added Ronald.

The expression on Lord Blackadder's face turned even more sour at this. "Children it is not my place to keep up with the latest linguistic zeitgeist! Now unless anyone else would like to comment on my speaking patterns…damn, had a good come back for that! As I was saying, I have been instructed by her majesty to…"

But before Lord Blackadder could finish, the doors of the great hall burst open and in walked a large green ogre, wearing the colors of the Scottish Royal Court, burst into the room.

"Oy! Which one of you's Blackadder?" demanded the ogre in an accent so thick it was a wonder anyone could understand him at all.

Lord Blackadder looked unamused as ever at this. "That would be I, and who might I inquire are you?"

"Shrek's me name, and James is me king. Speaking of which, King James wishes to inform Queen Elizabeth that he'll be running a little late, he send his condolences, his thanks, and several bottles of the finest Scottish whiskey."

Lord Blackadder sighed loudly. "I shall inform the Queen…as soon as I take care of the guest of honor, who have just arrived."

Standing before the seated group was a girl of about sixteen with frizzy read hair, whom Perseo reasoned was this Rachel Elizabeth Dare he'd heard so much about. Standing next to Rachael was another girl, but one whom looked a bit older, and by all account looked to be a native of the New World bases off of the deer skin clothing she was dressed in; yet the girl's long dark hair, olive skin, and gray eyes could easily make her pass for a Spanish girl if she had different cloths.

"It is my pleasure to introduce to you Miss Rachael Elizabeth Dare, first child born of the Roanoke colony, and her native servant girl…"

"Her name is Kot-Niz, she doesn't speak much but she is a most loyal body guard," supplied Rachael.

For a brief moment Kot-Niz and Roberto's eyes met one another, and there was a look of almost recognition between them, but Perseo assumed it could only have been coincidence, couldn't it?

**Well guys what did you think? So a little explanation, the reason whenever the English are the perspective the Spaniards sped in Spanglish , and when the Spaniards are the perspective the English speak in Ye Olde English was to represent the language barrier between them. Also, the reason for no Christianity was purely plot relevant, I mean there's no way super-Catholic Spain would have teamed up with a bunch of demigods right? I will try my best for historical accuracy, but clearly this is not our past so excuse any anachronisms as part of this. Lastly, keep an eye on Roberto and Kot-Niz, there's more to them than meets the eye, until next time readers! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! So before we begin let's get some matters out of the way. HyperJuggernaut, I know Rick has hinted at the presence of the Abrahamic God in both Percy Jackson and the Kane Chronicles, but he's never said that the demigods are Christian, and personally I can't really see the Abrahamic God working in those series with all the pagan gods running around. Part of the reason the state of religion in the fic is the way it is obviously I intend it to be an analogue to the old European wars of religion, with the demigods as a stand ins for Catholic nations and the wizards as stand ins for the Protestant nations. I know you guys are probably wondering about wizard religion, but keep reading and you'll see about that. So with that out of the way, on with the story!**

_Hampton Court, England, 1602_

"Tell us of the wonders of the New World Miss Dare," said Harry in an effort to make conversation.

"It's a wondrous and untamed place; there are amazing new crops such as corn and potatoes; the natives are most accommodating, as you can see by Kot-Niz. We don't have many of the things you have here in Europe, but perhaps someday we will," said Rachael.

"What's the weather like in Roanoke?" asked Annabeth

"Usually quite pleasant, a bit warmer than England typically, though the winters can be quite harsh. Father, he's the governor of the colony, says that we wouldn't have made it thru the first year if we hadn't been for the natives."

"Really now?" said Roberto as he glanced at Kot-Niz somewhat nervously.

"Oh yes, the first year of the colony there was a great snow storm and all the colonist didn't know how to come about food, but then the natives came to our aid and we survived the winter to become a thriving colony," said Rachael.

"And did these natives look like your servant girl, olive skinned but not exactly dark as they typically be?" asked Shrek as he downed another glass of whisky.

"Indeed they were, and the queer thing is they were said to look exactly like Kot-Niz and her friends, but not long after that winter they disappeared. Yet not many years Kot-Niz and her tribe for the first time, but they acted like we were all long lost friends of theirs!"

"That's really mysterious, so when are we eating?" asked Ronald.

Ronald soon got his answer when the doors of banquet hall burst open with a loud clattering, and in stagger a very intoxicated King James of Scotland.

"Grab me kilt and put on some haggis! What is this a banquet or a cemetery, because it's completely dead in here!" shouted King James jovially.

"Welcome to Hampton Court, my name is Edmund Lord Blackadder, and her majesty Queen Elizabeth has charged me with seeing to your needs," said Blackadder.

"Nice to meet ya laddie!" laughed King James as he clapped Lord Blackadder on the back.

"Would his majesty care to take a seat?"

"Certainly laddie!" said King James as he plopped onto the floor.

"Perhaps in a chair," said Lord Blackadder as he helped King James into a chair.

"Thank you laddie! So what will we be dinning on tonight?"

"Well the royal kitchen chefs thought that in honor of all of our guests…"

"Is it bland? Because if you eat English food you gotta have it bland!" said King James before belching loudly.

"Wait, is it bland? Because I don't like anything too bland," said Perseo.

"You, the lad with the Spanish accent, what's your name?"

"Perseo Jackson, son of Poseidon."

"A demigod! That's a grand sight it is! I always did enjoy me some demigods, I even change the laws of Scotland to give demigods equal protection under the law I did! Now Perseo, when you go out for an English you gotta have bland, that's the whole point!"

"He does have a point, too much bland food will cork you up for weeks," said Annabeth.

"Wait; don't tell me, you're a demigod too!"

"Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena."

"That's even grander! But lassie, the point of going out for an English _is_ to get all corked up!"

"Forgive me your majesty, but Scotland has very odd customs, at least compared to Spain that is," said Annabeth.

"I like you lassie! I truly do!" laughed King James as he pounded his fist against the table.

"Right then, now if no one else has any comments to make I shall be off to the kitchen to check on dinner, and will be bringing her majesty to join you all shortly," said Lord Blackadder.

The feast was absolutely lavished; rich hearty soups, succulent roasted beef and pork, opulent stuffed chicken and pheasants, delectable roast potatoes and vegetables, golden baked breads, and savory puddings and pies.

"Let us not abstain any longer, eat to your heart's content!" said Queen Elizabeth.

"Don't mind if I do! Could somebody pass the bread and butter?"

Everyone looked to find a strange man who hadn't been sitting at the table a minute ago; the man was dressed in in the strangest clothes any of them had ever seen, almost as if he were from a different time.

"Oh sorry, where are my manners? I am Sir Doctor of TARDIS," said the stranger as he held up his credentials.

"Sir Doctor! You've returned to me at long last!" exclaimed Queen Elizabeth with glee.

"Lizzie…you look younger! And that's not the only thing off about this scene…"

"Sorry, what?"

"Never mind. So no need for introductions, I know you all!" said Sir Doctor.

"But if you know us all, then why don't we remember you?" asked Hermione.

"That is an excellent question…which will be answered after dessert, which is quite a ways away judging by the layout of this table."

Ω

"Hey Harry, the paper Sir Doctor showed us was blank!" whispered Ronald between bites of soup.

"What are you talking about, it was of the highest quality!" objected Harry.

"I'm bloody serious! It was nothing but a little tiny paper with nothing on it!"

"He has a point amigo. I too saw nothing on that paper," whispered Perseo.

"Oh don't you start! I could see that it was a mark of nobility clear as day!" said Annabeth.

"Clear as a foggy day maybe…ow!" said Perseo as Annabeth kicked him under the table.

Ω

_Greenwich, England, 1602_

Meanwhile, Atticus O'Sullivan and his Irish Wolfhound Oberon were enjoying some bangers and mash at the Waverly Pub in Greenwich.

"Hey Atticus, who's this girl we're meeting?" asked Oberon thru the mental link Atticus' iron amulet provided.

"She's the daughter of an old friend, so don't get any ideas," said Atticus.

"I wasn't, but will she give me treats and bell rubs? Because I like those!"

"Here she is now."

A young dark-haired girl of about sixteen walked into the pub and made her way over to Atticus and Oberon; she was wearing the uniform of a Hogwarts student, but seemed none too concerned with its upkeep.

"Alexandra Russo, you've grown quite a bit since I saw ye last," said Atticus as he shook her hand.

"Atticus O'Sullivan, you gonna eat that?" asked Alexandra as she eyed a particularly plump sausage on Atticus' plate.

"Help yourself, so what's Jerome told you about me?"

"Well, he said that you're a 2100-year-old druid from Ireland, you taught at Hogwarts when he when there, and you're both good friends; you're on the run from the Irish gods, the Tuatha Dé Danann, I think; and you've got a favor to ask don't you?" said Alexandra.

Atticus nodded and smiled. "All correct, and yes I do. As you know, ever since the Great Revelation, England has been searching for something to fill its spiritual void, but have remained opposed to the gods of Olympus. As a result many have returned to the old faiths such as worship of the Norse gods, and of course to the old Celtic gods, but…"

"But you're afraid that too many people worship the old gods will draw their attention to you," supplied Alexandra.

"Exactly. But I'm considering moving away, perhaps to the New World were the old Irish gods have little influence, or to a demigod nation like Spain; seeing as I'm but a druid the Olympian will probably leave me alone, though I can't speak for the people of such nations," said Atticus.

"My father was a merchant of Venice before he and my mother moved to England, but he said Venice is very tolerant of wizards despite being a demigod allied nation. Hey barkeeper, another round of bangers and mash!"

Atticus had promised to pay for whatever Alexandra ordered, but the druid had never expected the girl to have the appetite of an Irish warrior!

"You certainly can put it away!" laughed Atticus.

Alexandra shrugged. "I think it's the Spanish on my mother's side of the family. So about that help you wanted…"

"Right! A few nights ago I had a…bit of a vision. I saw that Queen Elizabeth is to die soon, and King James is to take the throne and unite England and Scotland; what troubled me is that James shows great interest in continuing the war in Ireland that has already been raging for nearly eight years now, and soon it will be nine. I know it seems a trivial matter, but I was born in Ireland…"

"And you still feel a connection to it. So you're asking for my help to "persuade" James to stay out of Ireland?" asked Alexandra.

"I know it's risky, and it's asking a lot for one so young, but your father tells me you have great skill in magic, even if your academic work wouldn't suggest as much, and…"

Alexandra held up her hand and smiled with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Mr. O'Sullivan, risky is my middle name! I'm most definitely in! Say, would your dog like a belly rub?"

"This one's a keeper, I can tell I'm definitely going to like her!" said Oberon.

Ω

_?_

That night as he slumbered in his bed, Dr. Dumblethor had a strange dream; he dreamed that he was standing on the moon, and as he stood on the moon he saw a figure approaching him. As the figure came into focus he could see it was a dark-haired boy with long pointy ears, olive skin, and mismatched eyes (one brown, one blue); the boy appeared to be in his late teens, but something told Dr. Dumblethor he was older than he looked.

"Welcome Dr. Dumblethor," said the boy.

"Yes, but what manner of man are you, if you are a man at all," said Dr. Dumblethor.

"Getting right to the heart of the matter are we? Well it's for the best; I haven't much time to risk. Now I would have contacted Sir Doctor, but that would be even riskier. To start with I'm a member of an ancient and powerful race that was once not too dissimilar to your own, but eventually we ascended the mortal world to join with the ethereal plane and became like gods, yet gods we are not."

"If not gods, then what are you?"

The boy paused for a moment to gather his thought. "You may call us Watchers, my names is Arthur Drakoni by the way…well in your tongue anyway."

"But if the Watchers are who watch both mortals and gods, then who watches the Watchers?" asked Dr. Dumblethor.

"Ah, I see you have read Juvenile and his Satires; but the question my dear Dr. Dumblethor, is one for the ages," smiled the young Watcher.

"To what do I owe this audience?"

"I've called you here in violation of the Watcher's Code for a most dire reason; you see in the vastness of the cosmos and the multiverse there are an many different worlds where infinite numbers of possibilities play out. At the core of these worlds are the Fictions, the worlds from which all originates, and from these come the Fics, those worlds of possibility I mentioned," explained Arthur.

"So they are other universes where history played out differently?" asked Dr. Dumblethor.

"Precisely. Now as we Watchers observed your universe, or Fic as we like to call them, we noticed that several heroes and heroines were being born centuries ahead of schedule. Now at first we had no idea why this might be, so of us thought that maybe it's a sign of a much bigger event to come, but my friends and I believe it to be cause by something entering your Fic from another, and the heroes being born ahead of schedule was a response to this."

"And how does this concern me?"

"Well have you noticed any strange…weather patterns in your world lately?"

Dr. Dumblethor's eyes widened with realization. "You don't mean…"

"Dr. Dumblethor, these beings have been termed Prime Catalyst by my friends and I, and unless you find a way to return them from whence they came your universe is going to destroy itself, and if that weren't bad enough it is potentially possible that this destruction will spread to other Fics and quite possibly lead to the collapse of the multiverse, or Fanfiction as we Watchers have termed it," said Arthur grimly.

Suddenly Dr. Dumblethor's vision began to blur, and a voice seemed to be calling in the distance.

"What's going on?"

"Remember that Watcher's Code I mentioned earlier? Well one of the biggest rules is that Watchers are not allowed to interfere with the Fics, only watch and observe, hence our name."

"And by bringing me here you have broken this rule," said Dr. Dumblethor.

"Got to go now, not sure when I'll be able to contact you again, remember what I said…" and with that Dr. Dumblethor found himself back in his bed at Hampton Court.

Ω

Dr. Dumblethor sat bolt upright in bed, he wanted to brush the whole experience off as merely a bad dream, but it was far too vivid and real to have been just that. He examined his gnarled walking cane and wondered if he could use it to make his mind wander like he had all those time before, but ultimately decided against it. Soon there was a knock at his door, it was Benjamin Lord Tennyson; Benjamin was a fifteen-year-old boy of noble birth, but of a low ranking noble family, yet this was enough to secure him a place in the Queen's court after he proved to have no magical abilities.

"Does her majesty request my services?" asked Dr. Dumblethor.

"No sir, it's the girl Rachael Elizabeth Dare! She's…never mind explanations, you must come at once!" said Lord Tennyson, and with that Dr. Dumblethor rushed out the door after him.

**Well guys, what did you think? Oh one quick declaimer, Arthur Drakoni the watcher is not in any way bases off of me, he merely shares my name, and I know it was a little metaphysical, but if you read Marvel: 1602 you'd have seen this coming. Don't forget to leave a review! =)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone! Okay I feel like I should put something to rest once and for all: in Percy Jackson the only time the question of the Abrahamic god is addressed is when Chiron say that would be getting metaphysical, meaning it might exists but no one knows; later in the same book (aka the Lightning Thief) it's revealed the afterlife is not the Christian one and that that's all just people fooling themselves (like the corrupt preacher), so I'm willing to say it doesn't exists, besides, polytheism's more fun anyway. Obviously Rick wanted both religious and nonreligious people to enjoy his books and not be offended; to any Christians, Jews, or Muslims, I do not mean to insult your faith, but know that trying to verify the existence in the Percy Jackson verse' is a lost cause/tilting at windmills, (plus the existence of multiple gods flies in the face of the whole no god but one god aspect of monotheism). So with that out of the way let us return to 1602, enjoy. **

_**Hampton Court, England, 1602**_

As Benjamin Lord Tennyson lead him towards Rachel Elizabeth Dare's room, Dr. Dumblethor could not shake the uneasy feeling the encounter with the young Watcher had left him with. Although it was the traditional view of wizards that the magical and scientific arts were two non-overlapping spheres of study, there were in actually quite a few areas in which the two shared common ground, not the least of which included this talk of other worlds. It occurred to him that the court diviner, one Lady Sybill Patricia Trelawney, had recalled a similar experience in the past week or so, but Dr. Dumblethor had thought no much of it; now however, he regretted not investigating it further. As they rounded the corner the two found themselves facing the Spanish envoys with what appeared to be weapons concealed under the clothing.

"Good evening, and where are you five off to at this hour?" asked Dr. Dumblethor.

"You mean us sen͂or? Why we were…out for a little stroll when we heard the scream of Miss Raquel Elizabeth Dare, and we rushed to her aid at once!" said Perseo, with his hand clamped firmly over Don Quixote's mouth all the while.

"Shall I send for the guards?" whispered Lord Tennyson.

"No, no, I sense they're trustworthy," replied Dr. Dumblethor.

As the group entered the bedchamber they found Rachel leaning on Kot-Niz for support and looking completely drained of energy.

"My dear girl, what's happened to you?" asked Dr. Dumblethor, but as he got closer Kot-Niz held out her hand.

"Just a bad dream, nothing serious," said Kot-Niz.

The group noted that Kot-Niz sounded nothing like what they'd heard the natives of the New World were supposed to sound like; rather, she sounded more like a European, but not quite, and Perseo and Annabeth could not help but think of how they'd heard Roberto speak in a similar accent on more than one occasion.

"Be that as it may, I would still like to examine the girl to make sure she's alright…"

"No!" replied Kot-Niz as she put her arm more firmly around Rachael.

"Don't worry Dr. Dumblethor, I know how to handle these native brutes. It is time for heroics!" shouted Lord Tennyson as he charged forward.

As Lord Tennyson charged forward he felt the urge to slap his wrist, despite the fact that it was bare, and he wasn't sure why. As soon as Lord Tennyson was within striking distance Kot-Niz drew a knife from her belt and slammed the butt of the knife into Lord Tennyson's jaw; as Lord Tennyson collapsed to the floor in pain the Spaniards drew their swords, but Dr. Dumblethor held up his hand.

"No! She was only trying to defend the Dare girl! She meant no harm."

"You shall go west to the colony that was lost," murmured Rachael.

"Speak again," encourage Perseo.

"You shall see the flume closed, but at a great cost," continued Rachael, this time a bit louder.

"Oh she's probably just talking in her sleep, nothing too important," said Roberto.

"Both wizard and demigod shall unite on this quest," said Rachael, her eyes now open.

"Out with it, what's the final line?" demanded Puss.

"And to the New World bring the heart of the West!" shouted Rachael, her eyes glowing green and her voice sounding as if she were speaking in unison with another.

"No, it couldn't be," said Annabeth.

"Couldn't be what?" asked Dr. Dumblethor.

"It was in the days of the Great Revelation that Campamento Mestizo's oracle, the one infused with the spirit of Delphi, the great oracle of Apollo, disappeared; we assumed the spirit moved on to another worthy vessel but…could this Raquel Elizabeth Dare be the new oracle we have sought for so long?"

"Queerer things have happened," said Dr. Dumblethor as Rachael collapsed to the floor, but fortunately, Kot-Niz caught her.

Ω

_**Temple Church, London, England, 1602**_

As Atticus and Alexandra made their way towards Temple Church they lamented having to leave Oberon at Alexandra's parent's house, but they figured they'd have an easier time getting into Temple Church without him. Although many churches had been demolished following the Great Revelation, certain churches had been preserved due to their historical and cultural significance, as well as for posterity's sake; and with its connection to the fabled Knights Templar; Temple Church had been on that list of the preserved.

"So remind me why we're here again," said Alexandra as Atticus tried the door.

"A little insurance, against both James and the Tuatha Dé Danann. Ah, it is open, and hopefully he'll be here soon."

The interior was truly a sight to behold, the round church's soaring arches seemed light as feathers yet also powerful enough to hold up the ceiling and in the center of the church were effigies of the great Templar knights of the past. From behind the shadow a figure emerged, he resembled a cross between a bat and a knight of old, but Atticus and Alexandra, as well as all of England, knew him as the Batman.

"Evening Atticus, good to see you made it in a timely fashion," said Batman, all business as usual.

"You too old friend…oh! Right, Batman this is Alexandra Russo, she's Jerome's daughter, and Alexandra I assume you know who the Batman is," said Atticus.

"Seriously, you're _the_ Batman?" asked Alexandra in wide-eyed bewilderment.

"The Knight of the Dark, the Crusader Who is Caped, the Batman. I answer to all three."

"So what roll do you play in all this?"

"They don't call me the Crusader Who is Caped for nothing; in the days before the Great Revelation during the Crusades my ancestors headed the Knights Templar and their contribution to the war; the Knights continued the fight against injustice long after the war ended. However, it is said the Knights let the power go to their heads and became corrupt, but that's mostly just propaganda spread by the Assassins, the ancient enemy of the Knights Templar; yet it was because of these rumors that the Church saw to it that the Knights were hunted down, persecuted, and forced into hiding in nations such as England. The Church's true motivations were their envy of the Knights great wealth, and the fact that the Knights had acquired an ancient and powerful artifact during their days in Palestine that the Church wanted to get its hands on," explained Batman.

"Where is it and what is it?" asked Alexandra, the mischievous smile on her face growing wider.

"Don't know, I stayed out of the Crusades, ran with Genghis Khan and the Horde during that time," said Atticus.

"They had this guy at Hogwarts not too long ago come give this lecture about lost treasure, and holy bloodlines, and I can't think of his name but this sounds right up his ally," said Alexandra.

"Professor Sir Robert Langdon?" asked Atticus.

"Yeah! That's the one…I think."

"Don't need him, you've got me. In all fairness though, he is giving a lecture to the French royal court, and my research into Templar lore suggest either Rosslyn Chapel or Paris or to be the relic's resting place," said Batman.

"So we're going to Paris? Alight! Just one more thing… I need you guys to stamp this letter saying it's okay for me to skip school," said Alexandra.

Ω

_**Hampton Court, England, 1602**_

Queen Elizabeth awoke from a pleasant dream, but she was not sure why. She considered calling for Blackadder, as he was always such delightful fellow, and she was sure he wouldn't mind. Out of the corner of her eye the Queen detected movement, but she quickly brushed it off and tried to get back to sleep. She awoke once more, but this time to the sound of breathing, and when she opened her eyes the Queen found herself facing the Scottish ogre Shrek.

"I'm truly sorry about this your majesty, but I have me family to think of," whispered Shrek.

Before the Queen had a chance to react Shrek grabbed a pillow and pressed it hard against her face; try as she might Queen Elizabeth simply could not break loose from the ogre's iron grasp, and soon she was no more, but for good measure Shrek snapped her neck.

For a moment Shrek stood in stunned silence, the implications of his actions finally beginning to sink in, but his solace was broken by slow rhythmic clapping as King James emerged from the shadows.

"That'll do laddie, that'll do," said King James with an evil grin.

"I've upheld my end of the bargain, now up hold yours! Will my family and friends be released or won't they?" snarled Shrek with his fist clenched.

"That'll all depend on how well the rest of this coup goes."

"We had a deal!" roared Shrek.

"Aye, but I've made some adjustments to that deal," smiled King James.

"I'll snap your neck like a twig!"

"You can, but your friends and family will be dead before ye get back to Scotland! Now you strike me as a bright ogre, what will it be Mr. Ogre?"

Shrek let out a long sigh. "Whatever ye say, your majesty."

"Nice choice laddie, now let's cover our assess before someone notices."

Ω

Perseo awoke to the sound of frantic rushing and panicked voices, he had been having second thoughts about the mission all night and now he worried that the English had figured out what was going on.

"What's everyone up to at this time of night?" yawned Roberto.

"You don't think… oh gods! Annabeth! If something's happened they'll have gone after her first!"

"Let's not jump to conclusions amigo, we still don't even know what the cause of all the commotion is," said Puss.

Before long there was a knock at the door, Perseo motioned for his comrades to get draw their swords and approach with caution; when they made it to the door they raised their swords, ready to strike at a moment's notice, and when they opened the door they found…Annabeth standing their completely unharmed.

"Are you trying to get us killed?" hissed Annabeth.

"You, but, I, thought…"

"Look algas del cerebro, something's happened to Queen Elizabeth, and we've all been called to the great hall. Best that we get there to defend ourselves before they try to pin this on us."

As the Spaniards passed walked towards the great hall they saw several members of palace staff shooting them looks of almost loathing, and upon entering the great hall they found the Queen's bed had been moved to the hall; upon closer inspection Perseo realized the Queen wasn't moving a muscle, as if she were…

"Is she…dead?" asked Perseo.

"Yes, yes she is," said Harry, the look in his eyes like daggers.

"But how, she seemed perfectly health just this…"

"You ought know damn well how she came to this sad state!" snarled Hermione.

"What are you talking about?" demanded Annabeth.

"The good Queen Elizabeth Tudor has been murdered!" exclaimed Dr. Dumblethor as he entered the room.

"What! How?" asked Roberto.

"Murderous dogs! They killed the Queen, and now we must avenge her death!" screamed Ronald as he pulled out his wand.

"No Ronald! Not just yet," said Lady Minerva McGonagall, another of the high-ranking court wizards.

"You don't really think we killed the Queen do you Ronald Weasley?" asked Annabeth.

"That's Sir Ronald Weasley to you, you gray-eyed Spanish whore!"

"Ronald we've been over this, you haven't be knighted and you lack noble blood, therefor you can't use Sir in front of your name," said Lady McGonagall.

"What's all the ruckus? It's louder than a chorus of bagpipes in here it is!" yawned King James as he groggily walked in.

"Stay back your highness, these Spaniards know no limits!" said Harry with his wand at the ready.

"Would someone care to explain to me what in name of the Scottish Highlands is going on?"

"Your majesty, there's no easy way to put this but…Queen Elizabeth has been murdered," said Dr. Dumblethor.

"Murdered! Why that's horrible! So when do I assume power of the throne?"

"Not until your coronation at Westminster Abby, and until then Parliament has selected me to act as regent," said Dr. Dumblethor.

As Dr. Dumblethor and King James continued to bicker over the details of the coronation Annabeth detached one of the jewels from her dress, it was small, but if the light hit it just right it could produce a rainbow. She titled her hand ever so slightly and…yes! Knowing their window of opportunity was brief Annabeth nodded to Perseo, and he opened a secret compartment in his sleeve and cast a golden drachma into the rainbow.

"Oh diosa del arco iris, acepta mi oferta," whispered Annabeth as the rainbow began to glow brighter.

"So let me just ask something, you guys will make our deaths know to everyone, even Niccolò di Angelo in the Republic of Venice!" said Perseo.

"Yes, but why are you…" but it was too late, for before any of the wizards could react a team of skeleton warriors burst through the doors of the of the great hall and soon a great battle broke out.

"Permission to use the unforgivable curse Dr. Dumblethor?" asked Hermione as she blasted a skeleton to bits.

"I'm afraid that won't work on them Miss Granger."

"Why not?"

"Because they're already dead!"

In all the confusion of the battle the Spaniards managed to slip away unnoticed; as they rushed down the corridor the four Spaniards found that they were at a dead end, nowhere to go but down.

"Think we can make it if we jump?" asked Roberto.

"Grab hold of me, my Poseidon powers will protect us," said Perseo.

"You know I'm not really one for the water and all…"

"Puss!" chastised everyone in unison.

Reluctantly, Puss grabbed a hold as well and before he jumped Perseo took one final look at the palace guards.

"You will remember this, English swine, as they night you almost captured Perseo Jackson!"

Being a son of Poseidon, Perseo was able to jump into water from great heights without suffering any damage, and he was able to expand the protection to his friends as well. Upon splashing into the moat and making their way to shore, Perseo and his friends met up with a dark-haired young boy with pale skin who was dressed in the robes of an Assassin, but whose robes had a more Venetian look to them.

"Arrivederci! You owe me big time for this!" said Niccolò between breaths.

"Just skeletons? You couldn't have brought some Assassins with you?" said Roberto.

"Do you have any idea how difficult shadow travel is? It hard enough on my own, forget transporting a team of Assassins!"

"So I'm guessing transporting us is out of the question," said Annabeth.

"Si, so is best we get to Spain. Very Assassin friendly nation Spain, not like England and France with their connection to the Templars," said Niccolò, his pride form having joined the Assassins showing more than ever.

"Wait, that's a good idea! We'll go to France and seek refuge in the court of King Henry IV until we can get to Spain safely again," said Annabeth.

"We're already free, why not just go back to Spain right now?" asked Perseo.

"That is precisely what the English will expect us to do, and they will have a trap set for up. We must keep a low profile until we are in safety again," said Puss.

"If we can make it to the water I can summon us a ship; will you join us Niccolò?"

"Not like I have much of a choice, it'll take a bit for my shadow travel powers to recharge, but I've got a bad feeling none the less."

**And so the plot thickens once again! I'd like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who have stuck with me this far without being offended, you guys rock! Don't forget to review! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again everyone! Now that you've waited long enough let us return to 1602…**

_**White Cliffs, Dover, England, 1602**_

Perseo, with his ability to communicate with horses, had secured some horses for his friends and himself, and onward they rode, faster and faster into the night. When a set of horse would grow tired Perseo would press them to continue until a replacement set could be acquired, and then the noble steeds would be set free. Although it took many exhausting hours the small band of fugitives finally made it to the beach along the White Cliffs of Dover.

"Finally, we've made it!" sighed Perseo as he collapsed to the sand in exhaustion as the first rays of dawn broke over the horizon.

"And now what do we do, swim all the way to France?" asked Niccolò sarcastically.

Suddenly there was a great churning of waves, and onto the surface breached three Spanish galleons, and a small dingy quickly worked its way to the beach.

"Say holla to the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María; they got Cristóbal Colón to the New World and they'll get us to France," explained Perseo.

"But there's only five of us, surely one boat would due," said Roberto.

"Sí, but we can use the other two as distraction so the Ingles don't follow us; speaking of which, I'm surprised we made it this far without being caught," said Annabeth.

The group's trip in the dingy was made slightly more difficult by the fact that Don Quixote insisted on bringing his less-than-gallant steed Rocinante along for the journey; although the addition of the aged horse made the dingy rock and constantly threaten to capsize, eventually the weary travelers made it to the deck of the Niña.

"Send the Pinta and the Santa María as distractions, the English will be none the wiser," said Annabeth as she collapsed to the deck in exhaustion.

"On it, and now my friends, in the words of El Hombre-Araña, with great power…comes great need to rest," said Perseo as he too collapsed in exhaustion.

"Good line my friend, must remember it for future use," said Niccolò.

Ω

_**Westminster Abby, London, England, 1602**_

"Alas fair Elizabeth, by my magic thou were made young again, and thy days were many and long to come, if not had thy life been cut short by Spanish hands," said Dr. Dumblethor as he finish his eulogy as the palm bearers placed the Queen in her custom made sarcophaguses within the hallowed halls of Westminster Abby.

Though Westminster Abby had long been abandoned as a house of worship, it had been persevered along with several other former churches both for posterity and historical value, but also to serve as a place of worship once England found a new faith. All members of the royal court and the nobility were in attendance, as well as a few of the common people; Benjamin Lord Tennyson sat next to Rachael and Kot-Niz in their place of honor amongst the members of the royal court.

"You seem most troubled Miss Dare, and not just because of our Queen's passing," said Benjamin.

"It's just…well I was sent here to negotiate with the Queen for more money for the Roanoke colony; father knew the Queen would take great interest in me, the first child born of Roanoke, and that this might help our cause, but now that the Queen is dead…"

"You mustn't fear so, I'm sure King James will be a good and just king, and a king who will be willing to hear your case out."

"Don't hold your breath, the bugger's a sot and as much a dimwit…well I won't go that far, not even the King is as dull as my manservant Baldrick," scoffed Lord Blackadder.

"Lord Blackadder! Do you wish to add anything to this eulogy!" barked Dr. Dumblethor.

"Oh nothing important, just some thoughts on things people say that they later come to regret. Sir Thomas More, for instance, must have been kicking himself as the flames grew higher for not saying 'I recant my Catholicism' sooner," said Blackadder with his usual cynicism.

"Actually Lord Blackadder, Sir Thomas More was beheaded for not recanting his Catholicism," Hermione corrected in her matter-of-fact tone.

"And perhaps you would prefer to keep your comments to yourself until the service has concluded!" hissed Lady McGonagall.

Begrudgingly, Lord Blackadder complied, but it soon became apparent that King James was the one to be contended with, for as soon as the service had reached its conclusion he rushed out of the Abby, all the while whooping and hollering all the way.

"Is there any particular reason his highness is so giddy?" asked Harry.

"Why laddie, with all these formalities out of the way we can finally get on with royal coronation!" laughed King James.

"Surely you will wait an appropriate time in order to mourn the Queen's passing."

"Ooh, tough luck laddie, I'm afraid that Parliament said the coronation is to commence as soon as Lizzie's funeral is over. So get plenty of rest so that you'll be ready for the big day tomorrow!"

"Dr. Dumblethor…"

"I'm afraid he is in the right Harry, and there is not much we can do about it," sighed Dr. Dumblethor.

Ω

Later that night Rachael found herself visited by a strange dream; in the dream she found herself standing on what seemed to be a barren landscape, but when she looked up she saw what by all accounts appeared to be the Earth floating in the sky. As she was trying to process all this Rachael was greeted to the sight of Arthur the Watcher, who was joined by two other Watchers; one of the Watchers was a boy that seemed to be Arthur's age, but had sandy blonde hair, ghostly pale skin, gray eyes, and fangs that poked out from under his lips; the other was a girl with flowing blonde hair, dazzling blue eyes, and long pointy ears like Arthur.

"So you're saying without the presence of the old religion Richelieu, or at least an analogue to him, would never have come to power and Absolutism would never have been founded?" asked Arthur, as the three Watchers appeared to be in the middle of a conversation.

"Precisely, but then again with France embracing the demigods it is entirely possible that a new form of Absolutism will take hold, but being centered around the Olympian gods," said the other boy.

"Then again they may still rebel against it in time, as the French in the Prime World were devout in their faith, but were more than willing to rebel against Louis XVI despite the Divine Right aspect of his rule. So what about Oliver Cromwell, I suppose he could have come to power thru secular means…"

"Um guys, she's here," said the girl.

"Right! Greetings Miss Dare, my name is Arthur Drakoni, and these are my associates Nick Griffalco and Holly Hillis," said Arthur.

"W-where are we?" asked Rachael.

"In a sense the Moon, but in a broader sense the great Ethereal Plane, so really we're everywhere and everywhen simultaneously," said Nick.

"I don't understand."

"Oh don't mind him, he gets metaphysical in times of crisis," said Holly. "It's not so important where we are as what we're going to tell you, but if you must know, your mind is traveling while your body rest."

"You mean…astral projection?" asked Rachael.

"More or less," said Holly.

"For a bit more background we are Watchers, once a race not too dissimilar from your own we ascended to the Ethereal Plane after we progressed over many generations, but make no mistake, though gods we are not we are still a mighty and ancient race," said Arthur.

"So then why have you sent for me?" asked Rachael.

"Your world is in grave danger; that strange weather you have encounter in the New World was no coincidence, it is because…well I'm afraid you have to figure that bit out on your own, but Roberto, Kot-Niz, and the Doctor hold the answer you seek," said Nick.

"But if the fate of the world is at stake why not just tell me now?"

"It's not quite that simple; there are certain rules we Watchers are bound by, and we're kind of skirting the edges of those rules just by brining you here."

"Then is this about the vision I had, of how demigods and wizards must unite to close this…flume I believe it was called, and if they fail the world is doomed?" asked Rachael.

"More than just your world, all worlds shall perish if you fail to unite the demigods and wizards. So I would greatly suggest that you start by finding those Spaniards, who didn't kill the Queen by the way, and convince the court wizards to travel to Roanoke with them and you," said Holly.

"I will leave you now?" asked Rachael as her vision blurred.

"Yes, but perhaps will shall meet again soon," said Arthur as he and his fellow Watchers gave Rachael warm smile.

"One final question, why do your images shift so? Everything about you seems in constant flux," said Rachael.

"Well, these aren't exactly our true forms, but if we revealed that there's a good chance you'd go mad," replied Nick cryptically.

"Good luck, we believe in you!" called Holly, and with that Rachael found herself back in her bed in the house of one of the royal courtiers in Middlesex.

Ω

_**Middlesex, England, 1602**_

Rachael tried her best to dismiss the experience as merely a dream, but no, it was far too vivid, too fresh, too real to have been just a dream; as she got her bearings Rachael realized Kot-Niz was standing next to her bed looking quite concerned.

"Bad dream?" asked Kot-Niz.

"If only it were," sighed Rachael.

"What's the problem?"

"Well it'll probably sound silly, and I don't imagine you'd understand it much, but I was visited by these beings, they called themselves Watchers, and they said that I'm to unite the Spanish demigods and the English wizards on a great quest to our home in the New World, where they shall close something called a flume, and should I fail this world, and many others like it, will all perish."

This got Kot-Niz's attention almost instantly. "Talk to Dr. Dumblethor?"

"His is very wise, and perhaps he might help," said Rachael as she got out of bed.

The two New World girls made their way to Dr. Dumblethor's room and gave a knock on his door, which was quickly answered by Dr. Dumblethor himself with a warm smile.

"Good evening Miss Dare, do come in," beckoned Dr. Dumblethor.

Inside Dr. Dumblethor's room there were candles floating in the air, a book case filled with tomes on all manner of magical subjects (and atop which sat the fabled Sorting Hat), a perch on which sat a hansom phoenix, and several glass balls that seemed to contain moments in time. Seated at a small table were two boys, one of whom Rachael recognized as Benjamin Lord Tennyson, but the other whom she'd never seen before; this boy looked around Benjamin's age, had should length red hair, as was fashionable, features that resembled those of Ronald Weasley but seemed strangely more feminine, and whom was dressed in the cloths that also seemed like Ronald's, but even more worn-out that his were.

"I'm sure you remember Benjamin Lord Tennyson, and allow me to introduce you to Bob Weasley, an…er, relative of our dear Ronald," said Dr. Dumblethor.

"A pleasure to meet you Miss Dare!" said Bob, whose voice had an odd feminine quality to it.

"So, what brings you about at this hour of night?" asked Dr. Dumblethor.

As Rachael recounted her story Dr. Dumblethor grew increasingly unnerved, as it quite paralleled his own experience with the Watchers, and by the time Rachael had completely finished Dr. Dumblethor was barely able to clutch his walking stick.

"I know it sounds fantastic, but I swear it to be true," concluded Rachael.

"I believe you Miss Dare, for I too have been visited by the Watchers!" revealed Dr. Dumblethor.

"But what can we do now? Everyone thinks the Spaniards killed Queen Elizabeth, and they've probably made it to France by now, and who knows how soon they'll be in Spain again," said Rachael.

"What do you mean in France? Surely they'd head to Spain immediately?" asked Bob.

"I…I don't know, it just…came to me."

"Perhaps this is your powers of prophesy manifesting, perhaps the good Spymaster Bond can shed some light onto this mystery; alas, we ought wake Mr. Potter and company, and have them hear this new information," said Dr. Dumblethor.

The group made their way to the room Harry and Ronald were sharing, after their knocks on the door were not answer the group made their way inside, where they found Harry and Ronald asleep. Dr. Dumblethor gently nudged Harry with his walking stick, and suddenly Harry head rolled off the bed; everyone jumped back in fright, but upon closer inspection Harry's head proved to be a Quaffle ball with a note attached to it.

"Oh my! Harry, Ronald, and Hermione have left to go after the Spaniards!" exclaimed Dr. Dumblethor.

"What!" shouted everyone else.

"It says here that Spymaster Bond got an anonymous tip that the Spaniards were going to France and sending out decoy ships to throw pursuers off their trail, and Bond's enlisted Harry and company to help him retrieve the Spaniards!"

"So then, it was my prophecy powers that predicted this?" asked Rachael.

"It would seem so, but now we must make for the docks and find a boat to France!" said Dr. Dumblethor.

"You mean Kot-Niz and I as well?" asked Rachael.

"Why yes dear girl, if not for you we'd never have found out about this great quest, and clearly you have quite the role to play in all this," said Dr. Dumblethor with a twinkle in his eye.

Ω

_**Thames**_ _**Dockside, London, England, 1602**_

As the group searched the dockside for a ship bound for France they came across Lord Blackadder and his manservant Baldrick standing with a sign that read "Get It Here".

"I don't suppose any of you chaps are here to get it," said Lord Blackadder, even more bitterly than usual.

"Here to get what exactly?" asked Rachael; when Bob whispered to Rachael what Lord Blackadder meant by "getting it" Rachael turned almost as red as her hair. "Why Lord Blackadder! If you wish to go into that line of work you ought to consider moving to Dutch Republic, from what I hear Amsterdam has quite a market for that sort of thing."

"I'm not in this for the pleasure Miss Dare; I'm in it only so I can earn enough money to move out of King James's company, or failing that sell Baldrick into slavery."

"Don't worry Lord B, I've come up with a book that'll make us millions; it's a book full of all the words in the world, I call it _Big Book Full of Lots of Words_. I'll even read an excerpt; C: blue wobbly thing mermaids live in," said Baldrick.

"Baldrick if there's one thing I know it's that such a load of rubbish will never sell, especially if you've included the word aardvark!" scoffed Lord Blackadder.

"I don't know, seems like it could sell if it were cleaned up a bit," mussed Dr. Dumblethor.

"I'll have him cleaned and ready for purchase tomorrow!" said Lord Blackadder eagerly.

"I was talking about the book Edmund."

"I've got another that might sell, and I'll read it to you. Once upon a time there was a little sausage named Baldrick, and he lived happily ever after. The end," said Baldrick; at this Lord Blackadder hit Baldrick on the head with his sign.

Dr. Dumblethor let out a long sigh. "Edmund in all my years I have never met a greater ass than you, but you seem desperate so if you wish I will allow you and Baldrick to accompany us on our journey to France and eventually Roanoke."

"If it gets me away from James, and possibly to a life of luxury, then I'll take it," said Lord Blackadder.

Not long after that an only sea captain walked over to the group and smiled when he saw Dr. Dumblethor.

"Albus, it's been a while."

"Captain Robert Owe-much, still the adventurer I see. Tell me have you discover any new islands lately?"

"Done some scouting around Newfoundland up in Canada, getting a bit more difficult now that the French are getting colonies of their own up there, and I strive to go south, perhaps around Roanoke and there about. But enough of that, what need have you and your comrades for my services?"

"We need a ship to France to track down some students of mine, some Spaniards, and one Spymaster Bond."

"Well, somebody's got their work cut out for themselves, but you'll have to wait till the tide comes in," said Captain Robert Owe-much.

"Perhaps an alternative, and just remember, no matter what happens it is still me," said Dr. Dumblethor.

Before anyone had a chance to object Dr. Dumblethor struck his walking cane against the ground, and there was a bright flash of light and a loud clap of thunder; when the light receded Dr. Dumblethor was gone, and in his place stood a muscular Norseman with flowing blonde hair, the clothing of a Viking, a flowing cape, a winged helmet, and in his hand was a large hammer.

"Thor of thunder tis I. Swiftly swinging thru the sky. Let lurch the ship me, and to France we shall be."

**So we finally reveal the meaning of Dr. Dumblethor's name. To all you Blackadder fans, yes I realize the lines came from Blackadder the Third, but you have to admit they were good lines. So add Bob to your list of mysteries good readers, but if you'll note his hair color and feminine nature (and perhaps know a bit of Blackadder's running gags) you should guess his true identity. Until next time noble readers, do leave a review =)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Well everyone we're back with another installment, and before we begin I'd like to tell you all the meaning of life…nah, I'll do it later. On with the story!**

_**Louvre Palace, Paris, France, 1602**_

After a well-earned rest Perseo and his companions unloaded from the _Pinta _and made their way towards the Palais du Louvre, and the court of King Henry IV. The group were in awe at the improvements King Henry IV had made to the city; wizards, demigods, and mortals walked and lived side-by-side as equals (more or less); the King's patronage of the arts was apparent from all the arts on the streets, the smell of fresh baked bread wafted thru the air, and the might Louvre Place drew ever closer.

"Who are you, and what business have you?" demanded one of the palace guards after the weary travelers made their way to the palace entrance.

"We are official courtiers from the court of her majesty Queen Isabella of Spain, and we wish to seek an audience with King Henry IV," said Annabeth.

"Have you any evidence of this?"

"Don't we sound like we're from Spain?" asked Perseo.

"Valid point, but the protocol is quite clear on these situations, so unfortunately…"

"Perseo! Annabeth! Bonjour! You did not tell me you would be in Paris!" said Silena Beauregard, daughter of Aphrodite, as she rushed over to the group.

"You know these strangers Mademoiselle Beauregard?" asked the guard.

"Oh François, must you be so stereotypical?"

"That is what I am paid for, oui."

"Don't mind him, come in at once! His majesty will love to meet you!" said Silena.

The Palais du Louvre seemed to be in the middle of a renovation, with the old medieval fortifications being torn down, the courtyard expanded, and new more modern wings of the palace being added; there also appeared to be quite the colony of art, which as Silena explained, were constantly around to provide new artwork as part of the King's patronage of the arts. We the group made their way to the throne they found the king having just finished having his portrait made.

"It is truly your best work yet; your father Apollo would be most proud," said King Henry IV to the young artist. "Have in hung in the royal gallery at once; ah, Silena, who is this you have brought to me?"

"We have Perseo Jackson and Annabeth Chase, demigods form the court of Queen Isabella of Spain; Niccolò di Angelo, a demigod of the famed assassins; Roberto Pendraco, another of the Spanish court; and finally, Don Quixote de la Mancha, I assume you have read Monsieur Cervantes's biography of his exploits."

"A true delight to meet you all, to what do I owe this visit?"

"We've got a bit of a problem. We were visiting the English court, just on some diplomatic work, when Queen Elizabeth was murdered. We didn't do it, but Spain and England haven't exactly had the best of histories, so naturally we were blamed without a second thought; so we're kind of in need for a safe haven and possibly and escort to Spain," said Roberto.

"But of course; one's such as yourselves should not be turned away, and any friends of Silena are always welcome," said King Henry IV with a warm smile.

The bliss that seemed to fill the room was instantly dashed as Charles Beckendorf rushed into the room; Beckendorf was a blackamoor son of Hephaestus who had originally lived in the Spanish city of Cordoba, but even being a demigod was not enough for he and his mother to escape the prejudices that still burned in Spain, so the two had moved to Paris in hopes of finding a better live, which they did in the French royal court.

"Mon roi! Mon roi! There has been another murder!" exclaimed Beckendorf.

"That is the tenth one this week!" said King Henry IV. "Send for the royal carriage at once! I must inspect this body with my own eyes!"

"If you wish, but it is not for the faint of heart mon roi."

"What's all this talk of murder?" asked Annabeth.

"Over the past few weeks there have been a series of gruesome murders committed throughout Paris, and each one seems more heinously violent than the last!" explained Beckendorf.

Ω

Once the group had made their way to the city morgue they were lead to the room where all of the body were being keep, and which smelled of an odor of pungent. Upon seeing the body of the latest victim uncovered King Henry IV let out a stream of expletives (which along with the details of the grizzly cadaver, shall not here be repented, for the sake of readers with more delicate sensibilities). The mere sight was enough to cause Perseo to become ill and vomit across the floor, which in turn lead to King Henry IV vomiting.

"I was right on the edge for a little while, but seeing you pushed me over," groaned King Henry IV.

"Perhaps it would be best if we covered the body once more," said Beckendorf as he did just that.

"What sort of person could live with themselves after having committed such a heinous stream of murders?" asked Silena.

"We don't exactly know it was one murderer, now do we?"

Everyone one turned to the sound of the voice and were shocked to find Sir Doctor of TARDIS standing before them.

"How'd you get here so fast?" asked Puss.

"I get around. So like I was saying it could have been committed by a team, such as the Templars or the Assassins."

"This isn't the sort of crime either organization would commit, we like to be discrete with our killings," said Niccolò as the undertaker wheeled another body into the morgue.

"We get nowhere with this senseless philosophical babbling, we must find answers now!" said King Henry IV as he brought his fist down hard on the table.

"We can't go into this blindly. Let's start with the basics: we know most of the victims came from along the Rue de Morgue, which is where we happen, quite conveniently; we know that many of the victims were wizards and prostitutes; and we know the kill must have been both strong and ruthless," said Sir Doctor.

"You mean to suggest that this is a… how you say, hate crime?" asked Beckendorf.

"That's certainly one possibility, so that narrows the list down to everything from Daleks to Cybermen…but the Cybermen would need a way into this universe, and that raises the question of if Daleks exist in the universe, and even if they do this isn't the sort of thing either of them would do, but then again…"

"Hate to interrupt your ramblings Sir Doctor, but I think I might know who committed these crimes," said Perseo.

Ω

_**Rue de Morgue, Paris, France, 1602**_

"I would have thought you'd have had more self-control, but clearly children of the war god think themselves above such concepts!" snarled Batman as he used the walls of the alleyway to propel himself in a flip attack.

Batman's opponent, Clarisse la Rue, daughter of Ares, took the costumed hero's moment of misjudgment to grab him by his arms and legs, and kneed him hard in the back. The pain was intense, but Batman managed to turn around just in time…for Clarisse to slam her spear into his chest. Fortunately Batman wasn't hurt, but he was flung back several feet.

"Like tar so thick, make the ground to your feet stick!" said Alexandra as she cast a spell.

The spell caused to ground around Clarisse cling to her like hot tar, but even the spell seemed limited in its ability to hold back to daughter of the war god, so Alexandra cast another.

"Struggling quicker makes tar grow thicker!"

This time Clarisse was clamped firmly in her place, and to further prevent her from escaping, Atticus pointed his mighty sword Fragarach at her.

"No use fighting, the blade is enchanted so that you must remain still and answer our questions while you're in its power," said Atticus.

"Then I will talk, I did not murder them! My I go now?" spat Clarisse.

"Well looks like she was telling the truth Bats," said Alexandra.

"Don't call me Bats," replied Batman flatly.

"I'll let you go, provided you promise not to attack us, and in turn we won't attack you," said Atticus.

"This is fare," replied Clarisse, and with that Atticus and Alexandra released her and she went on her way.

"Lad, you're getting sloppy in your sleuthing!" said Atticus.

"You can never be too careful with these demigods," replied Batman.

"I'm guessing this is because your parents were killed by demigods, isn't it?" asked Alexandra.

Batman stood in stoic silence before responding, and questioning having reveled himself as Lord Bruce Wayne to the girl (and to Atticus, all those years ago). "For so many long years, I searched for an answer, as reason why they were taken on that night, and then it turns out that father was a prominent wizards and the brewing war between wizards and demigods was just beginning, even before the Great Revelation. You tell me you wouldn't feel the same way if it had happened to you."

There was a long pause before making their way towards Notre Dame, where Sir Robert Langdon was lecturing about the role of pagan symbolism in medieval Christian artwork. Sir Langdon had just about wrapped up his presentation and was about to leave when Atticus and Alexandra walked in with Oberon.

"I'm sorry but…Atticus, is that you?"

"Robby! Didn't miss a good lecture did I?" asked Atticus as his shook hands with Sir Langdon.

"Oh just the usual about the bloodlines of the gods and their influence on western history. So what brings you to Paris?" asked Sir Langdon, and it was then that Batman swooped in.

"Ireland's in trouble, and now the James in on the throne it's only going to get worse. We're seeking the treasure of the Templars in hopes that it'll help us, and seeing as you're a leading expert on Templar lore it only seemed natural to seek your services," said Batman.

"Then you've come to more than the right place. I hope you haven't wasted your time at Rosslyn Chapel, because the treasure was moved from there long ago and brought to Paris. It's good that we're at Notre Dame, because it's from here that we can calculate the direction to the treasure; we start by…" but Sir Langdon stopped mid-sentence as Atticus clutched his head in pain.

"I know, I smell them too," said Oberon.

"Atticus, what is it?" asked Alexandra.

"I sense…some old friends, or at least one of them is. It's been a while…oh quite a while."

It didn't take the group long before they found the two Atticus spoke of; one of them was dressed in simple present cloths that could be from anywhere, but the other wore black leather covered in metal spikes, and on his head he wore a helmet in the shape of a skull. Soon the two figures locked eyes with Atticus.

"O'Sullivan," said the leather clad figure as a maniac's smile crept over his face.

"Kurgan," replied Atticus.

"Thought I sensed you, so what brings you to Paris?" asked the Kurgan casually.

"I ought to be asking you the same."

"I heard from a reliable source that a powerful Immortal was in Paris and I look to acquire his Quickening!"

At this Batman nearly lunged at the Kurgan, but Atticus stuck out his hand. "No! This has been converted into a temple sacred to Zeus and Athena, and it is forbidden to fight an Immortal on sacred ground!"

"But he's obviously the one who murdered all those wizards, just look at his body language, his clothes, and the murderous look in eyes!" countered Batman.

The Kurgan laughed loudly at this. "Guilty as charged, but O'Sullivan's right, you really don't want to know what happens when someone fight's an Immortal on sacred ground!"

"Maybe we'll take our chances, you even think of that!" spat Alexandra.

"Hey there little witchy girl, is it Samhain already?" said the Kurgan as he wiggled his tongue at Alexandra.

The man who had been sitting next to the Kurgan final got up and stood between Alexandra and the Kurgan. "Maybe sacred ground's out of the question, but perhaps we can take this outside!"

"And just get the fun out of the way now? I'll deal with you in good time Connor MacLeod, but as for now I've got to find that magical Immortal, so tah!" cackled the Kurgan as he walked out of Notre Dame.

"So who wants to explain what's going on here to me?" asked Alexandra. "Perhaps if we had a nice room in a royal palace where we could discuss these matters…"

"Say no more, I quite get the hint, and you're all welcome to come to temporary residence at the Louvre Place," said Sir Langdon.

Ω

_**French countryside, just outside of Paris, France, 1602**_

Mighty Thor set the ship of Captain Robert Owe-much down gently in the French country side, careful not to draw the suspicions of any of the French peasants; after his comrades disembarked from the ship the thunder god tapped his hammer to the ground in order to return to the form of Dr. Dumblethor.

"Albus! How am I going to get my ship out of here?" exclaimed Captain Robert.

"I am most sorry old friend, but I had to put her here so that we wouldn't draw attention to ourselves," said Dr. Dumblethor.

"We're not going anywhere until we get an explanation," said Rachael with her arms folded.

"You are right Miss Dare, I do owe you all an explanation. Following the Great Revelation it was the will of King Henry VIII, which in turn was continued by the good Queen Elizabeth, to create for England a pantheon of gods to combat Spain's alliance with the Olympians; to this end several different pantheons, from the gods of Cimmeria to the Tuatha Dé Danann, were researched. Ultimately it was the Teutonic, or Norse as they are also known, gods whom were chosen; unfortunately the Norse deities were destroyed centuries ago in a cataclysmic battle known as Ragnarok, but it soon became clear that thru magic these gods could be resurrected, and so was born Project Yggdrasil. As we could not get these gods to anchor themselves to the mortal world on their own just yet we had them bound to worthy mortals, and it was I who was selected to become the Thor of Project Yggdrasil."

"I have read a bit into this mythology of the Norse men, and you sir strike me more as being in line with the god Odin," said Bob.

"Certain gods were easier to resurrect, and Odin has thus far proved a bit trickier than expected," admitted Dr. Dumblethor.

Before long the group made their way into Paris, with Kot-Niz causing more than a few people to stare at them.

"It's okay Kot-Niz, Paris is just like London, only you can't really understand the people," said Rachael.

"If you mean that the people dump their shit in their drinking water, then very much so," said Lord Blackadder, who had the misfortune to be standing under the window of a house just as its occupant emptied the contents of a chamber pot out the window.

"I think they throw it on the people Lord B," said Baldric.

"Oh do you know?" said Lord Blackadder, looking like he very much wanted to strangle the dimwitted manservant.

The group stopped while Dr. Dumblethor and Captain Robert tried their best to haggle to get some bread and cheese for the group to dine; while they waited (and Lord Blackadder searched for a means of cleaning himself) Rachael decided to do a little exploring of her own. She hadn't gotten more than down a few alley ways when she found Kot-Niz and Lord Tennyson standing in front of her with their eyebrows raised in questioning.

"Come now, we're in a new and exciting city, aren't you just a little curious about what there is to see?" asked Rachael.

"A bit, if I am to be truthful," admitted Lord Tennyson.

"Yes," said Kot-Niz as she unsheathed an arrow from her quiver, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

As the three made their way down the winding alleys they came across a Frenchman dressed in the robes of an alchemist rushing hurriedly away from something, or perhaps someone.

"What's your hurry good fellow?" asked Lord Tennyson.

The man stopped instantly and spun around at this. "Your accent, you are an Englishman!"

"Benjamin Lord Tennyson, though I may retain my noble title in but name, seeing as how thing have gone with the monarchy."

"Do you know the one called Atticus O'Sullivan?" asked the Frenchman, his eyes wild with panic and fear.

"Somewhat I do, had him as a professor when I flunked out of Hogwarts for not being magical enough," but before Lord Tennyson had even finished the Frenchman shoved an ornately carved box in his hands.

"Take this, take this and flea to O'Sullivan! He is staying with the scholar Sir Robert Langdon at the Louvre Palace! You must run and take it too him, the world could depend on it, and trust in the Templars! The Templars will aid you, but fear the Assassins and the Kurgan!" said the Frenchman was beads of sweat poured down his face (which must have been from intensity as it was a bit cold that day).

"Nicholas Flamel! Come out, come out wherever you are!" called the Kurgan as he drew closer.

"Go! I will hold him off as long as possible!" shouted Nicholas Flamel as he drew a large sword from its scabbard

Try as they might Rachael, Kot-Niz, and Lord Tennyson couldn't help but want to stay and watch; Flamel proved more than a match for the Kurgan as the fight between the two Immortals began, but as the battle drew on the Kurgan became increasingly ruthless in his tactics and Flamel found it harder to dodge his swings. It seemed like Flamel had an opening, but the Kurgan was luring him in with a false opening, and soon Flamel was knocked to his knees.

"There can be but one!" shouted the Kurgan as he sliced Nicholas Flamel's head clean off.

As soon as Flamel was decapitated there was a rushing of wind, and several lighting strikes closes by, and the Kurgan seemed to be absorbing some kind of energy from Flamel, but soon it was all over.

"Hello there! My what a pretty box you have, why don't you give it to me and no one gets hurt!" said the Kurgan with an evil smile as he walked slowly closer, his large sword swinging from side to side.

**So we've reached another dramatic cliffhanger! So some things I realized, since Connor was born in the 16****th**** century he wouldn't be very old at this point (even as an Immortal) so as you'll see next chapter I've reimagined him as originating with the Pics, and ancient tribe that lived in Scotland around the time of the Romans and thru to the Early Middle Ages (or Dark Ages as some call them). Hope that clears everything that needs clearing, leave a review, and see you next time! =) **


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm back with more 1602! So I meant to say last chapter, if any of you would be interested in making artwork of characters and/or scenes of this fic then that would be really cool, I'd be extremely grateful, and I'll post the link for everyone else. So if you can email me, and as for the rest, on with the story. **

_**Paris, France, 1602**_

As the Kurgan drew closer Kot-Niz pulled the string of her bow back, carefully calculation the angle, and let it fly. The arrow struck the Kurgan right between the eyes and stopped him dead in his tracks, the awful smile frozen on his face, but instead of slumping to the ground the Kurgan simply pulled the arrow out of his forehead and the wound healed instantly.

"You know what they say, stick and stone can break you bones, but one blow from my sword ends your life instantly! Now give me the box!" cackled the Kurgan.

"Lord Tennyson, what are we to do?" whimpered Rachael.

"At time like these Miss Dare there is but one thing to do…run away! Run far, far away!" screamed Lord Tennyson as he did just that

"Ooh! A chase! Haven't had a good chase in a quite some time, but I can't leave any eyewitnesses, now can I?"

No matter how many direct hits she got, Kot-Niz just couldn't stop the Kurgan's advances; soon she was all out of arrows, and the Kurgan was within striking distance. Just when it seemed that all hope was lost a strange being that appeared to be made entirely of fire walked into the ally.

"Who are you?" asked the Kurgan, more than a little confused.

"Me? Why I fancy the name Heatblast!" declared the being as it shot a ball of fire at the Kurgan. "And you were just leaving!"

The Kurgan had faced many opponents in his 2,000 years of life, but never one made entirely of fire; knowing the fight would not be in his favorer, the Kurgan fled to the rooftops.

"I know not what manner of man or beast you are, but know that I kindly thank you," said Rachael.

"It was…uh, only natural Miss Dare," replied Heatblast.

Rachael frowned. "How did you know my name?"

Suddenly the circular badge upon Heatblast's chest began to glow red, and Heatblast quickly rushed into another alleyway. When Rachael and Kot-Niz caught up with him Heatblast was nowhere to be seen, but Lord Tennyson was, and he had his hand in the box Nicholas Flamel had given to him.

"Where did that Heatblast fellow go, here was just here!" asked Rachael.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Lord Tennyson, who seemed to be looking around nervously.

"But he just rushed to where you are now! Surely you can at least explain why your hand is in that box!"

"I…figured…if I am always touching it, then I will know if it is stolen."

"What's in the box?" asked Kot-Niz.

"Silly native, I'm afraid your primitive mind would be incapable of comprehending such advanced European ingenuity!" laughed Lord Tennyson nervously.

"She is not a simpleton, and neither are the other people of the New World! She might not speak much, but only because she can little more comprehend English than you can her native tongue. Now let us see in the box!" demanded Rachael.

"Miss Dare! Lord Tennyson! Are you over here?" called Dr. Dumblethor.

"Yes Dr. Dumblethor! On our way!" said Lord Tennyson, a bit hastily.

"Good friend," said Kot-Niz to Rachael as they made their way back.

"Think nothing of it; I fear we'll have many more in Europe to convince of your people's worth."

Ω

_**Royal Kitchen, Louvre Palace, Paris, France, 1602**_

Meanwhile at the Louvre Palace the kitchen were abuzz with activity as all of the chefs hurried to prepare for the royal feast the king was holding that night; if any of the chefs noticed that five extra chefs were in the kitchen, they made no sign of it.

"How is a lamb prepared Spymaster Bond?" whispered Harry.

"Have you added the seasonings?"

"Yes, exactly like the recipe calls for."

"Now comes the tricky part, it's easy to overcook a lamb, but equally so it under cook it and Chef Ozymandias doesn't take kindly to those who fail to cook properly. Cast a spell so that the fire dyes down when the lamb reaches peak perfection," whispered Spymaster Bond as he busied himself by chopping leaks.

Harry placed the lamb on the spick and used the Igneous spell to light the fire, and adjusted the spell according to Spymaster Bond's instructions. As the lamb cooked on its own Harry helped Spymaster Bond's fifteen-year-old apprentice Alexander Ryder with the pastries.

"How much longer do we have to keep this up?" asked Harry.

"Wait till this evening, those Spanish turncoats will be supping with the king, and that's when we make our move. Pass me that bowl of chocolate will you?" said Ryder.

"Chocolate?"

"The brown stuff, it's what we're filling the pastries with."

"It's an…"

"Import from Spain's colonies in the New World, quite bitter, but much improved when mixed with milk."

As Ryder went to work on the pastries Harry drummed the table in thought. "Ryder? Do you think…perhaps we are in the wrong on this assignment?"

"What manner of matter do you speak to me sir?"

"I'm just saying, we don't know for a fact that the Spaniards killed Queen Elizabeth."

Ryder stopped mixing the chocolate and narrowed his eyes at Harry. "Have you forgotten the note our noble Spymaster Bond did recover from the queen's bedchambers?"

"Yes, well I do find it a bit odd that the Spaniards would leave a note saying: 'Twas all our idea, love the Spanish visitors.' I mean if you're going to commit a murder you'd want to be more discreet than that," said Harry.

"You might be onto something Harry," said Hermione as she gave the soup a stir. "They did seem well versed in the note, but dreadfully inept in spoken word. What's more, the manner of the writing seemed more akin to that of King James."

"Easily forged, and what of leave the note out of charisma, and for the thrill of the chase?" asked Ryder.

"Offal risky on a high-stake political mission, assuming that's what it was," countered Hermione.

Harry sighed. "What happened to the good old days of Hogwarts and magic before we all got intertwined into this game of thrones, this clash of kings, this storm of swords, this feast of crows, this dance with dragons, this bickering amongst the nobility with wizards and demigods as the chess pieces?"

"It might not have lasted long, if Voldemort were still about."

"I think of him often," said Harry.

"Your scar burns?" asked Hermione.

"Very much so. Perhaps soon the quarrelling of royals will be the least of our concern."

Suddenly there was a clattering of pots and pans as Chef Ozymandias stormed over to where Ronald was shelling lobsters and other shell fish.

"Monsieur Weasly! What do you makes of this!"

"Why that sir is a seafood crape, made it myself!" said Ronald.

"Seafood crape? More like…how you say, seafood crap!" roared Chef Ozymandias.

"It looks to be okay to me."

"Okay? Just okay! Monsieur Weasly, in this kitchen we strive for excellence, not exceptions! Okay is a mistake, and in this kitchen we eat our mistakes!"

"Gladly so good sir!" said Ronald as he dug into the crape.

"English food must be quite bland, for clearly you lack taste buds," said Chef Ozymandias flatly.

Ω

_**Visitor's Chambers, Louvre Palace, Paris, France, 1602**_

In Sir Robert Langdon's chambers, the immortal Connor Macleod began his explanation into his nature.

"You see me as a man in his mid-thirties, but in truth I am nearly 500 years old; I was born in Scotland when it was still ruled by the Picts, between the fall of Rome and the rise of King Arthur. I was brave warrior to me clan, but then came that fateful day; I was fatally wounded in battle, and all thought I was dead, yet somehow I returned to life. Me clan were a superstitious lot, and they drove me away, but me Heather stayed a loyal wife to me until she died…of natural causes mind ye. Every year I lite a candle on her birthday to remember her by," said Connor.

"So that's what you were doing when we came," said Alexandra. "So how does the Kurgan fit into this?"

"He is one of the most ancient Immortals, it is said he was born over 2,000 years ago and has ruthlessly murder fellow Immortals in his quest to claim the Prize."

"This Prize being?" asked Sir Langdon.

"No one knows for sure, only that soon the Gathering, the time when Immortals will be drawn together to fight till there be but one, will be upon us. Once the dust of the Gathering is cleared, the victor shall claim the Prize."

"So the Kurgan is not a good guys is he?" asked Alexandra.

"Nay, like I said before, he is a cold blooded murderer and a monster. I shudder to think what would happen if he were to claim the Prize."

"There has to be some way to stop him, even if we must kill him to do so," said Batman.

"There is but one way to kill an Immortal: decapitation. Any other method proves ineffective, observe."

Connor pulled out a dagger from his belt and stabbed himself in the stomach, everyone quickly rushed to his aid, but before long Connor had completely recovered from his injury and was as health as ever.

"Crom and his devils! You weren't kidding!" exclaimed Alexandra.

"Crom and his devils? Is that what you kids are saying these days?" asked Sir Langdon.

"Remember, the Queen's special activities commission tried to revive the worship of the Cimmerian deities, and even though it failed people still curse in their names as a result," said Alexandra.

"You really were paying attention in my class!" laughed Atticus.

"Well, it was one of the few classes I actually did well in."

"We must determine where the treasure of the Templars is, but no use doing that on an empty stomach. Come now, the king has seen fit to prepare a grand feast, and I'm sure he'll happily enjoy your company," said Sir Langdon.

Ω

Meanwhile, just outside the Louvre Palace, Dr. Dumblethor and company had followed the trail indicated by Harry's letter and were now seeking entrance to the royal palace, which was more than achievable thanks to Kot-Niz. Before long the group found themselves standing before the lavished banquet of King Henry IV.

"Mon roi! I must beg your pardon for the late notice, but these English visitors wish to entertain you by bring you this girl of the New World!" said François.

"Two actually. I am Rachael Elizabeth Dare, firstborn child of the English colony of Roanoke, and this is my native servant girl Kot-Niz," explained Rachael.

"This is most unexpected, but nonetheless most welcome. There is much food, and more is readily available. Take seat and be our guest!" said King Henry IV.

The Spaniards only needed to take one look before they were drawing their swords in preparation.

"Have these English swine arrested! Spare the girls, but the rest accuse us of killing their queen with on evidence, and have come for us!" declared Annabeth.

"They have done nothing against you personally! Only the students of Hogwarts and the queen's guards, but Dr. Dumblethor's menagerie of extraordinary men have never acted against any of you!" pleaded Rachael.

"Granted, but who's to say they won't?"

"If they have not, I see no reason to suspect them of such, or any reason to take action," said King Henry IV.

Annabeth sighed. "I will concede, but I would advise watching them."

As the first few courses were brought out the assembled visitors began asking questions about the wonders of the New World; Rachael was more than happy to respond with vivid descriptions of life in Roanoke, while Kot-Niz only responded with the vaguest of answers.

"I did not know natives of the New World could master metalworking," said Beckendorf, noting a metal pen shaped like a circle with a strange looking bird inside that hung on Kot-Niz's deerskin dress.

"Thank you. Mockingjay, gift from friend," said Kot-Niz.

"It is very beautiful. May I try it on?" asked Silena.

"No!" shouted Kot-Niz as she clutched the pen protectively.

"She is quite protective of it," explained Rachael.

"So what are the defenses of this Roanoke like?" asked Clarisse.

"Mademoiselle La Rue! We do not speak of such things at this banquet!" scolded King Henry IV.

"But you were just saying the other day of how France needs more colonies in the New World!"

"Ones that are justly earned, and don't threaten the peace I am trying to forge with the other nations of Europe."

Beyond this all was going well, until the main course was brought out, for it was then that Harry and associates came out to the deliver the meal and saw who they were serving.

"Dr. Dumblethor!" exclaimed Harry.

"You!" shouted Perseo.

"The Spaniards?" asked Hermione.

"Spymaster Bond?" asked Atticus.

"The Druid!" declared Ryder.

"Hello everyone! What's for…oh, bad time?" asked Sir Doctor.

"Not him again!" groaned Roberto.

"Too many people! My brain hurts!" moaned Alexandra.

"Don Quixote!"

"Señor Quixote!" chastised everyone.

"You lot dare to break bread with the murderers?" said Ronald, completely in shock.

"You tolerated these…these…people that jump to conclusions Señor Rey?" asked Perseo.

"And this wine is most lovely!" said Baldrick.

"Why don't you all just bugger off, especially Baldrick!" spat Lord Blackadder.

"My dear students, this Spaniards have done no harm to our dearly departed queen," explained Dr. Dumblethor.

"There was a note!" countered Spymaster Bond.

"Yes, but one that looks to be forged!" said Bob.

"And what proof have you of this?"

"I can help with that. We'll get them to write their names, and then we see if they speak the truth using me sword Fragarach, for all must be truthful in its presence," said Atticus.

"Dr. Dumblethor, must we really trust the word of this Scottish…"

"Irish! I'm from Ireland! Scotland is a nation north of England, Ireland is an island west of England, and I'm from the island and that makes me Irish! There's a bloody difference!" shouted Atticus.

"I am the king of France, and that is the nation you are all in, and I say we go with the Druid's plan!" said King Henry.

King Henry instructed for some quills, ink, and paper to be brought in for the test; the four Spaniards and one Assassin took the quills and wrote down their names, which looked nothing like the alleged letter.

"Now then, answer truthfully for you have no other choice. Did you murder Queen Elizabeth?" asked Atticus.

"No," replied the five accused.

"It would seem that their alibi is confirmed," said Dr. Dumblethor.

Spymaster Bond gritted his teeth at this, and not long after that Rachael began to look ill.

"Are you alright Miss Dare?" asked Benjamin Lord Tennyson.

"I…I feel a tad lightheaded, perhaps if I were to take a small walk."

Rachael hadn't been staggering around for long before she completely collapsed, but Spymaster Bond caught her before she hit the floor.

"She's been poisoned!" exclaimed Ryder.

"Not poisoned, merely rendered unconscious," said Spymaster Bond.

"I should have guessed! It was you I saw slipping that powdered drug into her goblet!" said Niccolò.

"You sir are correct. I really must apologize in advance for this."

"For what?" asked Harry, but he soon got his answer when the doors to the royal banquet hall burst open.

In marched an army of court jesters being led by one who was dressed little different from them, but nonetheless had an air of pure evil about him; he wore the green and purple outfit of a jester, his face was white as snow and was forever frozen in a horrible smile, and at his side stood the Kurgan. This could be none other than the Batman's archenemies the Jester. Kot-Niz immediately strung her bow and made read to fire, but the Jester wagged his finger at her.

"Make one wrong move and I'll slit her throat!"

"He'll do it! He's that crazy!" cackled the Kurgan.

Reluctantly, Kot-Niz dropped her lowered her bow and arrows as the stalemate began.

"Now unless you wish to see Miss Dare harmed you'll let us go on our marry way to a Port Key we've arranged for our departure to Venice. What say you?" asked Spymaster Bond.

"All this time I looked up to you as 007, when all along you were a double agent!" said Ryder.

Spymaster Bond chucked. "My dear boy, if only you knew half the truth."

King Henry sighed. "I will not risk this girl's life. You may go."

"Why Kingie, was that really so hard?" taunted the Jester as he and his army of court jesters made their way out the doors.

As the twisted fiends moved further and further way Annabeth nodded to Clarisse, who in turn nodded to Atticus, who nodded to King Henry.

"Draw your weapons and hold positions," instructed Annabeth.

"And I shall send for the court magicians," said King Henry.

"Hold positions just a bit longer, give them some distance," said Puss.

"A little more and…attack!" shouted Clarisse as she lead the charge.

In all the confusion Lord Tennyson used the opportunity to activate the strange devise he had found in the box given to him by the alchemist; the item was a simple green band with a round disk the projected ghostly images of strange beings, but he found himself unable to remove it from his wrist. Lord Tennyson quickly selected a creature resembling a moth and pressed the disk; in the blink of an eye Lord Tennyson had become this new being, and he soon named it Big Chill.

"Beckendorf! You are quite the architect!" said Annabeth as she admired the gilded hallway they raced down.

"Merci Annabeth, I found that by adjusting the angle of the ceiling I was able to maximize…"

"Perhaps another time Charles!" called Silena.

Before long the great race burst out of the palace and into the streets of Paris, with more room to fly about, Big Chill was able to swoop down and pluck Rachael from Spymaster Bond. For good measure Big Chill sent a blast of frost that froze many of the court jesters dead in their tracks; as he lower himself and Rachael to the ground Big Chill felt a sharp pain in his side, he looked to see it was caused by arrows being fired at him from Kot-Niz, who was in hot pursuit of him.

"Stop! I'm on your side!" shouted Big Chill as Kot-Niz quickly made her way up several trees before jumping onto him.

Big Chill did his best to maintain flight, but Kot-Niz's forced had jolted his wings and he was spiraling out of control fast; knowing time was short, Big Chill could see he was close to the city market and next thing he knew he had slammed into a cabbage merchant's stand.

"My cabbages!" sobbed the cabbage merchant.

"Frozen produce, novel concept. Wonder if I could…" but before he could finish his thought, Big Chill lost consciousness.

"Rachael? Rachael!" called Kot-Niz as she tried to wake the girl.

"Oh…Kot-Niz? What happened?" groaned Rachael.

"It's okay, you're safe now," whispered Kot-Niz.

Suddenly Kot-Niz felt a sharp pain in the back of her head and she slumped forward as she lost consciousness.

"Sorry ducks, but looks like you'll be joining Miss Dare on her little trip to Venice," said Spymaster Bond as he patted the plank of wood he'd hit Kot-Niz with.

Ω

"I can find them anywhere!" said Alexandra.

"In the absence of any other evidence, I'd say that suffices as a hint," said Sir Doctor as he gestured to the frozen minions.

Batman was already ahead of them and had spotted the villains standing in the market place with Rachael, Kot-Niz, and Big Chill all unconscious and stuffed in sacks.

"Oh Batman you're such a card, but now we must go!" cackled the Jester as he threw a series of razor sharp cards at Batman.

Batman masterfully dodged the cards, but was too late, for before he could grab them, the Jester and his comrades grabbed the Port Key and teleported to Venice. As everyone rushed to the spot Perseo and Harry locked eyes with one another.

"It is clear Raquel and Kot-Niz mean a lot, to all of us. Will you not put aside our differences, just this once, so that we might save them?" asked Perseo.

"If you are willing, then so am I, but we're going to need sails," said Harry.

"Sails are not needed when one has the Mighty Thor," said Dr. Dumblethor as he pulled out his gnarled walking cane.

Ω

_**Hampton Court, England, 1602**_

Meanwhile at Hampton Court, King James had called a special audience with court wizards Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy.

"I assume you both know why I've called you here?" asked King James.

"Potter and Bond's vigilantism no doubt," said Draco.

"Aye, but of those other defectors who went after them as well. It concerns me greatly of these wizards that are…less than satisfactory."

"You mean muggle-borns, and mixed breeds," said Lord Snape.

"You're a bright one laddie, and we'll start by making an example out of our defectors. Work is they've team up with demigods from the continent and are bound for Venice. Why don't you take me ogre-servant Shrek and see what you can come up with," said King James.

"It will be our pleasure my lord," said Draco with a huge smile.

**And so the plot grows, but will our heroes be able to keep their temporary peace? And does Spymaster Bond have other reasons for siding with the Jester and the Kurgan? Until next time reads! Don't forget to review! **


	7. Chapter 7

_**Paris, France, 1602**_

Perseo and his fellow demigods had always suspected that there might be other pantheons active in the world, but they were still as shocked as everyone else when Dr. Dumblethor transformed into Thor.

"Fear not good friends. Thor of thunder is an ally to all," Thor assured.

Everyone loaded into Captain Robert's ship and with a great heave and swing of his hammer Thor had them airborne in no time.

"Are you alright Perseo?" asked Harry once they achieved their cruising altitude.

"I feel as though this is wrong in some way. It is like I am not meant to be up here," said Perseo as there was a rumbling of thunder.

"Think little of it! Tis a bit of superstition you feel, and not much else!" scoffed Bob in jest.

"Perhaps not, people used to think the gods were just superstitions, and yet we ride thru the air with the aid of the Norse god of thunder," Atticus pointed out.

As the group continued to ride through the air Harry found his gaze wandering towards Bob more and more; he felt like he'd known Bob his whole life, but yet he'd just met him but a few days before. Harry desperately needed someone to talk with in private, but the ship being somewhat crowded he had to settle for Lord Blackadder, who was on sail duty along with Baldrick.

"Lord Blackadder, might I have the span of but a few minutes with you?" asked Harry.

"Certainly boy, you'll make for better company than Baldrick at any rate," replied Lord Blackadder.

"I…have most strange feelings for one I have met but not long ago."

"Ah, the sultry days of young lover I see. And what, might I inquire, is the young lady's name?"

"Bob Weasley…and he's a boy."

"Well, in that case you might consider moving to Amsterdam, I hear such acts of sodomy are more common there," replied Lord Blackadder.

"But I don't know for sure, and our present society is most liberal even still…please tell none!"

"Sure lad, whatever you say."

Harry made his way below deck, where everyone was trying their best to make the most of the cramped space.

"Jackson! You are in my space again!" shouted Clarisse.

"My space is from here to here, and you are clearly in the wrong!" countered Perseo.

"Quite you're bellyaching! When you're at sea you have no sense of personal space, and it should be just the same in the air!" said Captain Robert.

"My sandwich! I had it just here! Where would…" Ryder stopped mid-sentence when saw Alexandra with his half-eaten sandwich in her hand.

"What? I was hungry!" objected Alexandra.

"Sandwich? What is that?" asked Silena.

"It is an invention of the Earl of Sandwich, who did find that meat does not stain one's hands when placed between two slices of bread, and is even more improved when cheese and vegetables are added," Ronald explained.

"It'll never catch on," said Don Quixote, seeming to realize what the conversation was about for the first time.

"I can see much application for such a meal," Connor mussed.

"I agree in this," said Niccolò.

Just when it seemed everyone was going to go stir-crazy Thor announced that they were fast approaching Venice and were going to be landing soon; even with this happy news, Harry still worried of his feelings for Bob.

Ω

_**Clock Tower, Piazza San Marco, Republic of Venice, 1602**_

As Rachael and Kot-Niz regained consciousness they found themselves chained to the walls of some kind of clock tower; the weather was still cool, but noticeably warmer than London or Paris had been. As there vision became clearer they noticed Lord Tennyson chained next to them.

"What are you doing here?" asked Rachael.

"I tried to save you, but I got captured just the same," Lord Tennyson explained.

"Hello ducks, I see you're awake just in time for a lovely Venetian sunrise!" said Spymaster Bond as he walked over to them.

"Venice?" asked Kot-Niz.

"Oh yes! Lovely city on the water! Would be shame if we were to have to drown you!" laughed the Jester.

"Why would you drown us good sir?" asked Lord Tennyson.

"Oh, because that's what will happen if you don't cooperate with us!"

"Now then, your friends should be in the city soon, and unless they pay your ransom within the allotted time, you will all die," said Spymaster Bond, and with that he and the Jester left the hostages.

As soon as the captors had left, Lord Tennyson moved his wrist as much as he could until the dial on the strange device turned and then pressed; there was a flash of green light and Lord Tennyson was replaced by a strange blue monkey with six arms and six eyes.

"Spot on! Now let's see if I can find a form that can free the two of you."

Rachael stared in wide-eyed shock. "You! You are…"

"Fear not Miss Dare, I am still Lord Tennyson. I was granted the power of shifting my shape by the treasure of the Templars, which sits upon my wrist."

"I knew it! You were hiding something!"

"We can discuss this at a later time Miss Dare, for now we must escape!" said Lord Tennyson as he took the form of a large red bat he called Jetray.

In the form of Jetray, Lord Tennyson was able to blast through the chains binding Rachael and Kot-Niz with some kind of green magic; after that, the two girls grabbed onto Jetray as he took flight over the marvelous city of Venice.

"It's amazing! Do you think this is how the gods see it all?" asked Rachael over the rush of the wind.

"I should think so, but what gods do you mean, if I might inquire?" asked Jetray.

"The Greek, in the New World we are much removed from the clash of kings here in Europe, so we take whatever gods suit us best, and my family found the Greeks to be most agreeable."

"My family is much the same way…I suppose that's why we never progressed much among the other nobles."

"If it is any conciliation, you more than any are deserving of the title noble, even if you disrespect Kot-Niz," said Rachael.

"Thank you kindly Miss Dare, and your servant girl isn't most agreeable…for a savage of the New World," said Jetray, with a bit of a smile.

As the trio swooped low over the Grand Canal the badge on Jetray's chest began to flash red; knowing time was limited Jetray tried to aim for the Rialto Bridge, but came sort just as time ran out and the trio plopped into a passing gondola.

"Mamamia Luigi! There's a children falling from the sky and into our gondola!" exclaimed one of the gondoliers; he was short and fat with a red brimmed hat.

"Do forgive us if we caused you any harm, we are on the run from a team of terrible men that wish us dead," said Rachael.

"You are English! And look, is a native of the New World!" said the taller gondolier, who was thin and had a green brimmed hat (and by default had to be Luigi).

"Rachael Elizabeth Dare, first born child of the Roanoke colony. This is my native servant girl Kot-Niz, and the lad is Benjamin Lord Tennyson."

"You are lost, and you said the bad men, they come after you? So no more, let Mario and Luigi give you shelter and help you all we a can!"

"Look at you, so skinny, Luigi cook you good meal, yes?"

"We'd love nothing better," said Lord Tennyson.

Ω

_Dockside near Piazza San Marco, Republic of Venice, 1602_

The group had just arrived in Venice, but Thor had yet to change back into Dr. Dumblethor.

"I feel it is better for me to stay in a powerful from, give what antagonist we face," explained Thor.

The massive group was split up in order to cover more ground, and Harry once again found himself in Bob's company. As his group walked along the narrow Venetian streets Harry found his gaze increasingly wandering towards Bob.

"Do I seem strange to you Master Potter?" Bob inquired.

"What? Oh! I…rather suppose you do, that is to say you have an air of mystery about you Mr. Weasley," stammered Harry.

Bob smiled at the thought of this. "I rather suppose I do, but it remains to be seen if you can surmise why this is."

"Look lively lads, Oberon's got a scent!" called Atticus.

Oberon took a short cut thru a series of winding back allies that seemed to go on forever, but at the same time were connected to the Grand Canal via the smaller tributaries; this was the home to the lower income families, and seemed like the perfect place for the Kurgan or the Jester to be hiding out. Eventually Oberon led the group to a house where two gondolier brothers were cooking some wonderful smelling food.

"Hey! This is no for you doggie!" shouted the shorter of the two brothers.

"Oh, I see how it is. Sorry for the trouble lads, his stomach gets the better of him!" said Atticus.

"But I smelled her, really!" Oberon complained.

"Sure you did Oberon, sure you did."

Ω

"What was all that about?" asked Rachael.

"Just a doggie who wanted some of Mario's cooking, but his mater take him away, so more for us!" said Mario.

Rachael and Lord Tennyson were initially repulsed when they learned tomatoes were to be featured prominently in the meal, but Mario and Luigi assured them that tomatoes, despite being related to the nightshade, we completely harmless.

"You eat them regularly?" asked Lord Tennyson.

"Si, tomatoes is a most a wonderful fruit in the world!" said Luigi, waving his hands about excitedly.

"But it is the mushrooms that are most delicious! And we cook many mushrooms for our new friends!"

Mario and Luigi had cooked marvelous dishes of pasta in tomato sauce, grilled mushrooms on sticks, a kind of bread with tomato sauce and cheese that the Mario brothers called pizza, and for desert lovely sweets.

"You Venetians are truly master chefs! But I couldn't take another bite," said Rachael.

"Why thank you, but you still so skinny, why…" but before Mario could finish there was a loud cracking noise from the attic of the small house.

Luigi grabbed a broom, and Mario grabbed a vase as they slowly crept up the stairs; cautiously they opened the attic door and…a fearsome Scottish ogre burst out!

"Stay back kiddies, he will a grind your bones for his bread!" screamed Luigi as he whacked Shrek with his broom, to little avail.

"Actually, that would be giants! Oh, ogres are much worse! We'll eat your livers! Squeeze the jelly from your eyes; it's quite good on toast actually…"

"Enough you brut, enough! Miss Dare, I am Draco Malfoy, and this is my associate Severus Snape. We are here on orders of his majesty James Stuart, King of Great Britain and Ireland, to see you brought back to the royal court," said the blonde boy next to the ogre and a tall dark haired man how must have been Snape.

"Is that what they're calling it now?" remarked Lord Tennyson.

"I must politely decline his majesties offer, for I have unfinished business to attend to with some friends of mine," said Rachael.

Snape pulled out his wand. "Perhaps we were not clear before, you will come with us, now!"

Mario and Luigi started throwing globs of pizza dough at the bounty hunters. "Go! We hold them off and meet you later!"

"They'll kill you!" shouted Kot-Niz.

"In our family we have a saying, Marios never die! Now go!"

Reluctantly, the three runaway blotted away from the Mario brother's house; they ran across so many bridges that soon they lost count, constantly looking over their shoulder and wondering if they were about to be captured. It was clear that the Mario brothers were well respected amongst the gondoliers, as the mere mention of their names was enough to persuade most of the gondoliers to ferry them through the winding canals of the city. Based off of the recommendations of the gondoliers, the group decided that the marketplace was the best place to hide.

"We should be safe now…I say! Cabbages!" said Lord Tennyson.

"Get away! I will not let this be a repeat of Paris!" snarled the cabbage merchant.

"Psss, over here!" called a butcher as he eagerly sliced some meat.

"Us?" asked Kot-Niz.

"Who else could I mean?"

"Pardon me for asking, but do you know the Mario brothers?" asked Rachael.

"No, but I know a naughty girl who didn't know when to stay put!"

As the butcher pulled out a large sword Rachael finally got a good look at his face, and when she did her blood ran cold.

"The Kurgan!"

"The Jester was very specific about what to do if any of you escaped!" said the Kurgan as he slowly swung his sword back and forth as Rachael and Kot-Niz tried to inch away.

"You forget; I have the Templars' treasure!" said Lord Tennyson as he changed his form into that of a fish-monster that he called Ripjaws.

The Kurgan swung his sword at Ripjaws, who was only just able to get away in time, and instead the Kurgan sliced the cabbages instead.

"Not again!" sobbed the cabbage merchant.

"Looks like somebody's a fish out of water!" cackled the Kurgan as he came close to striking Ripjaws again.

Just when it seemed like Ripjaws was done for, the Kurgan felt the sharp stabbing of a knife in his side; the Kurgan looked just in time to see a young woman, dressed in form-fitting leopard pattern Middle-Eastern clothing, leaping from the top of a stall, and delivering a kick that knocked him backwards.

"You! I haven't seen you since the days of a pharaohs!" snarled the Kurgan, with just a hint of surprise.

"Good to see you two I suppose, but for shame! Picking on children? Would have thought you'd have more honor," said the woman as she threw more knives at the Kurgan.

"I was never big on honor!"

"And I was never big at all, but that scant stopped me!" declared a dwarf that accompanied the swarthy woman.

The dwarf contorted his face into the most terrifying expression Rachael (and most of the people at the market, for that matter) had even seen before, but the Kurgan seemed completely unfazed.

"I've been around for 2,000 years little god, and I have seen far worse!"

"Then perhaps you will fear the Fourteenth Nome, and the magicians of the Rialto House!" said the dwarf.

The Kurgan gripped his sword. "For now, you have the upper hand, but mark my words, we will meet again, and the children will be mine!"

With that, the Kurgan made a hasty retreat; the denizens of the market was quite shaken by the battle that had just occurred, but the young woman waved her hands and assured them all was well, and this strangely seemed enough to comfort the people of Venice.

"Good dwarf, your accent is that of an Englishman, but yet the brute called you a god. How is this so?" asked Rachael.

"I am a god of Egypt, and I sound as I please. My name Bes, god of dwarves and protector of children."

"And I am Bast, Egyptian goddess of cats and champion of Ra, also a protector of children."

"I am Rachael Elizabeth Dare, first child born of the Roanoke colony, and this is my native servant girl Kot-Niz."

"I see, and who is the fellow who changes his shape?" asked Bast.

"Benjamin Lord Tennyson, do forgive me if I am at all improper, I have met but one other god, and he was a Norse fellow," said Lord Tennyson as he returned to his proper form.

"Met old hammer-boy I see. No need for the formalities, we of the Duat have a casual attitude towards these matters," said Bes.

"You look in need of shelter, especially with that horrible Kurgan about. Fancy a stay in the Rialto House?"

"Why that would be…what is it Kot-Niz?" asked Rachael.

"Pen! Pen…gone!" stammered Kot-Niz in an panic.

Ω

"Come quickly! I've found something!" called Roberto to his group.

"It is Kot-Niz's mockingjay pen, and if she was here the others must be with her!" exclaimed Silena.

"You said she was very protective of it? Then if we found it here…"

"Don't finish that thought Connor!" said Roberto.

"We can't rule it out. At this point we're shooting in the dark as it is," said Connor.

"Have you made any progress?" called Atticus as he and his group made their way over.

"We've found the native girl's pen, so we suspect they've escaped and are possibly in danger," said Beckendorf.

Harry pulled Roberto aside to have a quick question with him. "Roberto, I know we've just met, but do you find Bob to be…alluring?"

Roberto shorted in suppression of laughter. "So you finally put it all together then?"

"Well, I suppose I was a bit afraid at first, they consider it sodomy still in many places, but damn them all! I care not for the repercussions of the law; I will travel to the distant east and west horizons if I have to…"

"Sodomy? Um, Harry, did you ever noticed that Bob is…how shall I put this? Curvy?"

"What speak you of good sir?" asked Harry.

"Perhaps I should show you instead," said Roberto.

Roberto walked over to Bob and yanked his hair, which it turned out was a wig, and soon long following red locks tumbled out, and thus revealed Bob's true identity.

"Ginevra! Is that you?" exclaimed Harry.

"Well, only one way to find out!" smiled Ginevra as she flashed her breasts.

"Oh my…that very much confirms it."

"Right, suppose I suppose I owe you an explanation then," said Ginevra as she covered herself once more.

**See, like I was really gonna make Harry gay! I know it was a bit on the short side, but I need a bit more time to think up ideas, but at the same time I figured I owed you guys an update. Here's too more ideas, and hopefully more reviews from my readers! =) **


	8. Chapter 8

**Good tidings ye most loyal readers of mine yarn. For many fortnights ye have waited for mine next addition to our tale, but ye are about to be reward for thy stall worth patience. So tally ho, and let's go on with our story!**

_**Hall of the Full Council, Dodge's Palace, Republic of Venice, 1602 **_

"The evidence is overwhelming that the safe return of Mr. Dare and her companions is imperative not only to the safety of the Venetian Republic, but the to the world at large as well," concluded Dr. Dumblethor.

A great roar of protest broke out amongst all of the assembled branches of the Venetian government, before the Dodge threw up his hands into the air to silence them all, that is. "You say that you know in advance of these things to come?"

"That is correct."

"By what authority to you claim this?" inquired the Dodge.

"I was visited in my dreams by beings known as the Watchers. It is well understood that the world of demigods puts much stock in such dream, and do note that the wizarding world does much the same."

"Il mio Dodge, Venezia has always remained neutral to these matters of the demigods and wizards," said one of the members of the Council of Ten.

"Have you not seen how the weather grows more violent by the day? Are just to sit around until we are the new Atlantis?" shouted one of the Signoria.

"I do not deny this, but how do we know it is connected to the claims of this wizard?"

"Has not a wizard eyes? Does not a wizard bleed when pricked? Does not a wizard laugh when cajoled? Does not a wizard feed of the same food, take of the same drink, and hurt of the same weapons? Is not a wizard sickened by the same diseases, and healed in the same way? When wrong does a wizard not seek justice? How in these, I ask of you, does a wizard differ from you or I?"

"Up yours, Shylock!"

"Si, ever since the Great Revelation you Jews have had the good life, but you still cry persecution! Greedy as ever!"

"Be silent Antonio! Be silent all of you! I am the Dodge, and I say we compromise and provide a small troop of men to search the city. Will this not make everyone happy?"

Begrudgingly, the full council agreed to the Dodge's terms; Sir Doctor was waiting outside when Dr. Dumblethor exited with the troop provided to him.

"Well, well, I see my advice work!" beamed Sir Doctor.

"Indeed, we really must discuss this…TARDIS, is it? In further detail, as soon as these calamities are behind us," said Dr. Dumblethor.

Ω

_**Rialto House, Fourteenth Nome, Republic of Venice, 1602**_

The Rialto house combined the exotic influences of the Near East, long vanished Byzantium, and the old style of Rome, all very typical of Venetian architecture, but the inside was what truly astonished Rachael and her companions. It was all modeled after ancient Egypt; there was a giant statue of the god Thoth in the center of the room, there were hieroglyphics floating in the air, there was an enormous fireplace flanked by reclining couches, a large snake-skin rug, and the walls were adorned with an odd assortment of weapons and Egyptian artifacts.

"I never imagined the wonders of Egypt…were this glorious!" said Lord Tennyson in awe.

"You should have seen it in the golden age, but let's us not dwell on what was, but on what is, and introduce you to the trainees," said Bast.

Everyone gathered on the terrace that overlooked the Grand Canal for an importune meeting to be introduced to the Rialto House's new guests.

"So they'll be staying with us until they can find their friends again," concluded Bast.

"Since we're all gathered, might we discuss the Calvierri matter?" asked Kathir Kane.

"What speak thee of, my Saracen friend?" asked Lord Tennyson as all the magicians glared like daggers at him.

"Lad, we don't use the S-word," said Bes. "Quite frankly, we view it as an insult."

"But I have seen men use such words all their lives, and none complained of it!"

"But how many…of our kind, magicians of the Egyptian path, I mean, have you seen in your native England?" asked Sadie Kane.

Lord Tennyson thought on it for a moment. "In truth, I would say…not one."

"You have answered your question, you vomit-eating dog of Albion," said Bes, with a smug grin on his face.

"How dare you insult the glory of England!"

"Oh I am most sorry, it's just I have never met an Englishmen before!"

"Well played little god, well played."

"You were saying of this Calvierri person?" asked Rachael, in an attempt to defuse the situation.

"Rosanna Calvierri, she runs a finish school for young girls, but they go missing, never to be heard of again," explained Waljet (who was also know by his nickname of, The Stone). "There are, however, rumors of them being seen in the night, but of them being…less than human."

"How so?"

"Have you perhaps heard of a creature known as the vampire?"

"I have, on a few occasions, heard of them…is it true that they sparkle in the daylight?"

"Hardly, they cannot even walk in the daylight without experiencing great pain," said Cleopatra, the resident bookworm of the Rialto House.

Rachael recalled asking her father, the governor of the Roanoke colony, if they could import some books so she could practice her reading, but books were expensive, and besides, even if the Great Revelation had opened many new opportunities for women, Governor Dare was a firm believer in traditional gender roles. In fact, he'd only allowed Rachael and Kot-Niz to journey to England in hopes that they're respective status as the first child born of the colony and a native of the New World would persuade the Queen, who was now dead, to grant the colony's request for financial aid.

"Vampires are a suborder of demon, and we followers of Egypt deal with quite a few demons; they are made when a vampire drains a mortal of their blood, and is then bitten by the nearly-lifeless mortal. Though they may have the memory, appearance, and even the personality of the moral, the mortal is, for all purposes, dead; the vampire is only a cruel mockery of what was once alive."

"Thank you, Cleopatra. The path of Thoth suits you well," said Bast.

"How would one go about identifying these vampires?" asked Lord Tennyson.

"They have no reflection, cannot stand the light of the sun, and they have sharp, beast-like fangs in their mouths," Waljet explained.

"Clearly we must infiltrate the school, Jasmine and I have agreed to go through with the plan," said Sadie.

"But we need one more to make three, just consult the numerology, three is a very important number," said Bast.

"I'll be your three!" said Rachael.

"No!" exclaimed Kot-Niz.

Rachael gazed into the worried eyes of her servant girl. "Oh Kot-Niz, you have watched over me ever so well, but now, you must trust that I can look after myself. I know not how, but I feel this to be right."

"Alright," said Kot-Niz as she squeezed Rachael's hands, a small tear rolling down her cheek.

Ω

Later that night upon the rooftops of Venice, the assassins gathered; Niccolò searched the crowd for his old master, the man who had taken him in even when Campamento Mestizo had not welcomed him (as a child of Hades, he was little more welcome there than his father was on Olympus), and before long he found himself in a surprise hug curtsy of Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the great assassin himself.

"Niccolò! I have not seen you in forever!" laughed Ezio jovially.

"Is good to see you too Ezio, but you would not believe the week I have had," said Niccolò.

"Try me," said the old assassin with a twinkle in his eye.

By the time Niccolò had finished explaining everything from his saving his distressed Spaniard friends, to teaming up with the English to find the Dare girl and her servant, Ezio was a bit taken aback.

"If I had been told by anyone else, I would not have believed it."

"Is it possible the Assassins would be willing to aid my friends, even if only in secret?" asked Niccolò.

"Fortune smile upon you, for tonight we take on The Jester and his men!"

Niccolò smiled just a bit, "You know, I have made the acquaintance of a Norse thunder god, could he be of service?"

"Niccolò, who is the only god were Assassins concern ourselves with?" asked Ezio.

"Death."

"And what do we say to Death when he comes for us?"

"Not today," said Niccolò as he unsheathed his Stygian Iron sword.

Ω

Rachael, Sadie, and Jasmine stood outside the Scuola di Calvierri; they knew that the other magicians were watching them over the scrying bowls, but the thought of what they might encounter within was still unnerving. Before long an incredibly dashing young man emerged to great them.

"Benvenuto, I am Eduardo, and you must be the new recruits," said the young gentleman as he kissed Jasmine's hand.

"Errrrrrrrr," moaned Sadie, completely breathless at the fine specimen before her.

"What she means is...she's Sadie, that's Jasmine, and I am Rachael. Might we have some assistance with our luggage?"

"Most certainly, bella signorina," said Eduardo with a flirtatious wink.

"But my name is Rachael, Rachael Elizabeth Dare. Have you heard word of me, perhaps?"

"Should I have?"

"I…pay it no mind," said Rachael. "So are we to meet Signora Calvierri directly?"

"Ah, sì. Jasper, you will take the luggage I think, and I will take the molto bella young ladies to Signora Rosanna," said Eduardo.

With its detailed frescos, intricate mosaics, and perfectly proportioned sculptures the academy easily rivaled the place of the Dodge himself; seated in an ornately carved chair, almost resembling a throne, was Rosanna Calvierri.

"Ah, such fine young ladies. You'll make wonderful wives for some very lucky young gentlemen someday," said Signora Calvierri.

"Bit early to be thinking of marriage!" remarked Sadie.

"Nonsense, and mind your tongue Signorina Kane! Of course, you'll all be proper young ladies if and when things go according to plan. Now, do make yourselves at home, and perhaps get acquainted with the other girls."

As the three girls made their way over to the grand dining table, they noticed three peculiar looking girls; one who resembled Bob, but was quite obviously a girl, and two others that, by all means, appeared to be poorly disguised versions of Ryder and Perseo.

"Psss, Miss Dare," whispered the one that resembled Bob.

"You would be…"

"My name is Ginevra, but you perhaps know me better as Bob, and yes, I am truly female unlike these two."

"Surely there were girls who could have come in their place."

"Old prejudices die hard, even in these strange times we live in. That's why I had disguised myself for a boy," whispered Ginevra.

"As soon as we are all to bed, meet us in the central hallway, and we shall make our escape," whispered Ryder.

"Not until we unravel the mystery of this school," hissed Sadie.

"But since you're not who we came for…"

"Well I am, and I say not until we have unraveled the truth behind Calvierri!" said Rachael. "I will take no compromise!"

"She has a point, and this soup is most delicious," said Perseo.

As they supped, the spies noted how sharp the teeth of several of the girls were, and how they seemed to cast no reflection on the polished silver plates. Later that evening, Jasmine awoke to find herself being lead out of the shared sleeping quarters, and towards a room that glowed with a strange green light; she was hardly awake before she found herself being strapped to a table, next to which stood Eduardo holding a clear bag of some strange liquid; the other girls and Signora Calvierri were in attendance as well.

"What's going on?"

"Do not worry dear, we're just going to make you a proper young lady and you'll be just fine," said Signora Calvierri, her smile showing off all of her pointed teeth.

"Eduardo, you wouldn't truly let them harm me. Would you?" whimpered Jasmine.

"Oh this will not hurt you bella. No, this will make you even more beautiful, and then you will be my bride!" said Eduardo, revealing his fangs as well.

Jasmine tried her best to kick free, but the other girls held her down tight; however, she managed to get one of her legs free enough to place a good kick to Eduardo's belt, and when she did Eduardo's image flickered for a quick instant. In Eduardo's place stood a beast the seemed to be part fish, part crustacean, and perhaps partly man as well; whatever it was, it was clear to Jasmine that Eduardo was neither man nor vampire, nor perhaps any creature of the Earth at all.

"You…you're…"

Before Eduardo could respond, there was a loud bang as a huge chunk of the wall was blasted away; as the smoke began to clear, Sir Doctor, Sadie, and many more of the Anglo-Franco-Veneto-Spanish team stepped forwards.

"Lovely blasting spell Ms. Kane!"

"Thank you Sir Doctor, it's sort of my specialty," said Sadie.

"Oh! Clever, very clever," said Sir Doctor as he circled the group. "Holographic imaging projectors to disguise your forms, but the brain can tell you're not quite human, but can't reconcile it with what the eyes see. So what does it do? Cancels out your reflections in the mirrors, but still sees those pointy teeth! But what are you, or rather, where did you come from?"

"Saturnyne!" hissed Signora Calvierri as she lunged at Sir Doctor, who quickly dodged out of the way.

"Lovely planet! All watery, and oceany. So then what brings you here?"

"Sir Doctor, who are you?" asked Sadie.

"Not now Ms. Kane," said Sir Doctor as he pulled out a strange metal device that produced a blue light and a buzzing noise that seemed to keep the monsters at bay, and reveal their true form.

"Saturnyne is in the middle of a planet-wide civil war, we had to flee, but our ship crash-landed on this world. Tragically, the wives and lovers did not make it," sighed Eduardo, with just a hint of remorse.

"So you made a new batch of girlfriends out of the local human girls! Should have seen it before, they can be in the sunlight because their cells are still adjusting to the genetic change! Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!" exclaimed Sir Doctor.

Signora Calvierri pulled out a metal square with a large red jewel in the center, "One false move, and the whole city shall swallowed by the waves!"

There was a loud cracking noise as a large section of the ceiling gave way, revealing the chaotic battle over the roves between the forces the Jester and the Assassins. Knowing time was short, Signora Calvierri pressed the jewel, and before long thick clouds began to pour out of Clock Tower, and a great storm formed over the city. Sir Doctor pointed his strange metal wand at the table, and the clasp holding Jasmine were loosened; after making sure everyone was free of harm, Sir Doctor made his way thru the panic crowds and towards the gondolier district; the six followed him to the house of Mario and Luigi.

"There you are! Too you quite long enough!" said Sir Doctor.

"Look Luigi, is Rachael from a Roanoke!" said Mario with glee.

"And she bring friends, and they so skinny like her! We make them good pasta, yes?"

"If we don't act soon, you'll have quite enough water, but everyone will have drowned!" said Sir Doctor. "Do you have it ready like I asked?"

"Sì. She's a waiting on the roof for you!"

"Okay! Let's see then: two gondoliers, a demigod, a spy, a wizard, two magicians, the first child born of Roanoke, and of course me! Lovely how eclectic we are isn't it? The more the merrier for the mission at hand!"

"And what mission might that be?" asked Ryder as the group made their way to the roof, where a large cloth canvases attached to an equally large weaved basket was waiting for the group.

"Say hello to Victoria, she's as nice as why I usually fly around in, but she was perfectly reliable for some old friends of mine. Oh, those five weeks in a balloon over Africa!" mused Sir Doctor.

"And Victoria is a…"

"Hot-air balloon. What? Oh! Right, hot-air balloons won't be theorized about for at least another century! Timey-whimey ball always throws me off."

"You still haven't answered my question: who are you, really?" asked Sadie.

"I'll explain as soon as the balloon inflates and we get airborne," said Sir Doctor.

By activating a machine to produce an electrically charged gas, Sir Doctor was able to inflate the cloth canvas, and as soon as everyone loaded into the basket, he used small machines to help increase the balloon's speed. Swiftly flying over the chaos below, Sir Doctor pulled on various ropes to alter the balloon's flight.

"Now then, I know I might like one of you, but I'm not. I am a Time Lord…the very last of the Time Lords…bit of a story."

"Then, you are not of this world?" asked Perseo.

"No, my world was called Gallifrey, but I ran-away and never looked back."

"But why runaway when you are a lord of time?" asked Jasmine.

Sir Doctor got a forlorn look in his eyes, "I had my reasons, let's leave it at that."

The storm grew in intensity, and it became hard to control the balloon (to say nothing of the crossfire from the battles of the Assassins and the Jester's men), but finally the balloon was hovering next to the Clock Tower, though the safety of the situation was another matter entirely.

Sir Doctor grabbed a rope with a hook tied to it, "I'm gonna hook onto the upper columns, and then I'll climb to the top to shut down the weather device! Make sure Victoria stays in place, not just because I'll be in sorry shape if you lot float away, but I doubt any of you can pilot her."

Sir Doctor hooked onto the columns on his first try; after testing the sturdiness of the rope he climbed across and made his way to the top of Clock Tower. Sir Doctor was onto inches from the strange device when out of the tower crawled Eduardo, in his undisguised form.

"Give me a reason!" snarled Ginevra as she gripped her wand tighter and pointed it at Eduardo.

"Please listen to me!" pleaded Eduardo. "If there was a way to avoid all this, I would have, but there is no way to get back to Saturnyne. I do not want to be lonely, I need a woman I can love and who will love me! My brothers are the same, just a few girls are all we ask, and then we will do no more harm!"

"Then what about this then? Why have a machine designed to sink Venice if all you need is love?" asked Sir Doctor over the howl of the wind.

"It was mother's idea; make it feel more like home…and in case we were discovered."

"Eduardo, I swear I will see that you all find your way back to Saturnyne if you help me shut this thing down."

Eduardo nodded in silent agreement and worked his way up to Sir Doctor; the two had just finished tinkering the device, when the rope holding Victoria in place began to give way. Everyone turned in a panic to see The Jester holding a knife to the rope, only a few treads away from breaking.

"My, talk about hanging on by a tread!" cackled The Jester.

"Jester, listen to me, you don't have to do this!" pleaded Sir Doctor.

"True, but I want to, and I'm going to!"

"Let them go!" snarled Eduardo.

"I thought you'd never ask!" laughed The Jester as he sliced through the final strands of rope.

Sir Doctor jumped and just barely caught the rope trailing from the basket. Eduardo lunged at The Jester, and the two slid off of Clock Tower, falling to the ground below.

"Eduardo!" shouted Jasmine.

"I can't see him!" said Rachael as she desperately searched the ground below for any sign of the noble beast from another world.

"I know he turned himself around to our cause, and for that we are grateful, but in espionage we have a saying: no man is worth your tears. Right now we must keep calm, carry on, and get Sir Doctor back into…" but before Ryder could finish, there was a great clap of thunder and the balloon careened violently about.

"We've been hit! By a bolt of lightning!" shouted Sir Doctor over the roar of the wind.

"Hang on Sir Doctor!" shouted Sadie.

With each passing second the balloon lost more and more altitude; Mario and Luigi tugged on the ropes in a vain attempt to steer the floundering craft, but to no avail. On its last legs, Victoria finally careened towards the ships of the harbor, and crashed aboard a Spanish Galleon.

"Everyone who's not dead, say aye," groaned Sir Doctor.

"Aye," responded everyone, including a Scottish voice that made the group turn around to find King James standing before them.

"Fortune smiles on us, eh Izzy?" laughed King James.

"Sì, Iago," smiled Queen Isabella.

**So Sir Doctor's turn nature is revealed, but perhaps the greatest threat to our heroes faces them once more. How will they get out of this, perhaps only the Watchers can help them now, but how? Until next time dear readers! Don't forget to review! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi guys! Since you've been so good and waited while I was on vacation in California, and you waited patiently while I worked on my other projects, so you get an update! So here we go…**

_**Ethereal Plane, The Blazing World**_

Arthur Drakoni and his small band of likeminded Watchers had journeyed to the Blazing World, that realm of pure imagination were all thought and dreams coexisted safe from censorship, which lay just beyond the realm of the Watchers. As a part of the Ethereal Plane and not of the material world, Watchers were permitted to visit the Blazing World without reprehension. Arthur and his group floated down to entrance of a magnificent gleaming palace that sat amidst the every-changing shapes and colors, and were shortly greeted by a man with the head of a fish.

"Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening to you all. My name is Bassil Finnegan, to what do…oh my! I say, are you…Watchers?"

"Young ones, but yes, we are," said Arthur.

Bassil's already large eyes seemed like they'd pop out of his skull any minute as he fumbled with his pocket watch, "I would assume…you are here to see Duke Prospero, correct?"

"Yes, we hope he's not terribly busy," said Holly.

"Not at all! Right this way!" said Bassil as he dabbed his forehead nervously with his handkerchief.

The group entered a room that seemed to change shape, color, and design depending on the angle it was viewed from; amidst floating symbols of alchemy and hermetic magic, his familiars Caliban and Ariel on either side, sat the great sorcerer Prospero, the former Duke of Milan.

"What ho, ye Watchers of all worlds of if and plenty?" asked Prospero.

"Good Duke, surly you're aware of the growing threat to the Fics that has potential to spread to the Fictions. It…could very well lead to the collapse of all Fiction," said Nick somberly.

"Aye, tis stranger tides we do afloat. Think not, that I desire no action, but know that my hands are tied by the same law that binds ye Watchers."

"But good duke, doesn't the potential destruction of the Fanfiction merit breaking these rules?" pleaded Aria, a Watcher who looked like a vampire with long raven black hair, olive colored skin, and violet eyes.

"Alas, tis not," Prospero sighed whirly. "Were I to provide you aid in any amount, the Watcher's Council, their wrath I would incur."

"Tut, tut, Prospero! I'd have expected much more from a sorcerer of your status!"

Everyone turned around to see a woman dressed in clothing that looked to be from the Edwardian era; in her hand the woman held an umbrella, with a handle shaped like a parrot's head, and on her head she wore a distinctive practical hat; she was young and beautiful, an air of grace and elegance about her, and practically perfect in every way

"Mary Poppins! I…I had no idea the greatest of all the Blazing World…would be gracing my palace…with your presence!" stammered Prospero.

"You flatter me good duke. If you give me any more praise, they'll surely refer to me as a Mary Sue," giggled Mary Poppins playfully.

"Mary Poppins, are you here to help us?" asked Theo, a Watcher who looked like a boy with the head of a bull.

"Indeed. I think it's perfectly rotten that those stuffy Watchers are willing to let the multiverse collapse in the name of their bothersome rules, and I think it's grand that you young Watchers are willing to take a stand for what is right rather than what is traditional."

"So you'll grant us access to the Iron Mountains so that we can enter the universe with the heroes that are in the year 1602, that by the Gregorian calendar, even though they aren't supposed to be?" asked Arthur, with growing excitement.

"Goodness no. I do have a compass that could make our travels swift, but I know an even better way!" said Mary Poppins as she pulled out several sticks of colored chalk from her handbag.

With Prospero's permission, the group made their way to one of the palace courtyards and began to draw the picture that would serve as their portal to the world whose fate could very well determine the fate of all worlds.

Ω

_**On the road to Madrid, Spain, 1602**_

There hadn't even been a battle, the group was simply outnumbered by the army of demigod and wizard mercenaries that Queen Isabella and King James had brought with them. Perseo, Annabeth, Roberto, Puss, Quixote, Shrek, Snape, and Malfoy were all welcomed back with open arms by their monarchs; unfortunately, the same could not be said for the others.

Several members of the group, such as Sir Doctor and Niccolò, had vanished in the ensuing chaos, but that mattered little to the rest of the group; their weapons confiscated, everyone had been chained together and (after a quick teleportation via some Egyptian magic), found themselves in the courtyard of the Royal Alcazar and soon after were escorted to the dungeons, their trail by the Spanish Inquisition pending.

"You have made a grave mistake! King Henry will be most displeased when he hears of this!" shouted Silena.

One of the guards stationed nearby smiled, "That is rather unfortunate; such a same you'll be dead by the time word reaches him!"

"If I might implore you good sir, I have a shiny sterling silver penny for the first fellow to let me and my comrades out of these cells," said Lord Tennyson (whose hands had been chained so that he couldn't use the treasure of the Templars).

The guards burst out laughing at this, "Your English coin is worth nothing compared the vast wealth that awaits a man willing to set sail for New Spain! They say there are entire cities of gold, such as El Dorado, just waiting to be plundered!"

With little more to do, the ragtag team of extraordinary individuals gloomily awaited their hanged trial that would most likely lead to the burning stake.

Ω

Meanwhile, those who hadn't been incarcerated were dinning (rather unwillingly) with Queen Isabella and King James.

"You're an awful quiet lot," said King James as he gave Rachael's thigh a squeeze.

Rachael, for her part, greatly wished Kot-Niz was still with her, and tried to distract her thoughts from the current state of things by imagining Kot-Niz shooting an arrow into King James' skull.

After a pause Annabeth spoke up, "Why?"

"Why what? Be specific Señorita Annabeth," replied Queen Isabella.

"Why has the Crown retained the Office of the Inquisition, even after the death of the old religion?"

Queen Isabella took a long sip of wine before lacing her fingers, now all business, "In the day before the Great Revelation, the Office of the Inquisition was very much a religious organization, dedicated to rooting out dissidents, followers in secret of religions that had been declared illegal. However, the monarchy soon found it to be quite useful for bettering our own means; it was quite the stroke of luck that many of our own enemies happened to also to be enemies of the Inquisition, and they were willing to turn a blind eye to those that weren't."

"So what you're saying is, they became your secret police," said Roberto.

"Sí, when the old religion faded to the ashes of history, we claimed to be doing the will of the gods of Olympus."

Perseo frowned, "But mi reina, it sounds like…you do not care about the gods."

At this, Queen Isabella and King James burst into a fit of laughter, as if it was the most hilarious thing they'd ever heard.

"That's funny lad, truly that is! Seriously, if the gods gave a damn a about the world, then why'd they let people forget about them so easily? Why, if it weren't for the Great Revelation, we'd still be following the old religion, and you lot would be burned at the stake for heresy!" laughed King James, pounding his fist on the table.

"And clearly you've never read Seneca the Younger. You know; religion is thought by the people to be equally true, by the wise/philosophers to be equally false, and by the rulers to be equally useful," added Queen Isabella.

"You feigning piety…to control the people!" exclaimed Rachael.

Queen Isabella shrugged, "Times have changed, so the monarchy changes with them. My father was quite the religious man, but I never cared much for all the pomp and ceremony. No, I was interested in the best way to expand Spanish power and influence, and giving the people something to huddle around, and well as an enemy to rally against, was the best way to do so."

"Aye, tis the same in the wizarding countries; hardly any monarchs actually fell strongly for either wizards or demigods, we just favor whatever we think is most likely to benefit our nations," said King James.

"But wouldn't it make more sense to combine your wizarding and demigod populations to their full potential?" asked Roberto.

Queen Isabella considered this for a minute before answering, "In theory, but there is another reason why don't. In the old days, monarchs could use the old religion to solidify their claim to the throne, but then the Great Revelation happened and did away with all that. Although we know for a fact that the gods of Olympus, and several other pantheons, are very much real, we cannot claim divine right as we once could. However, as Iago has so kindly pointed out, the gods certainly don't seem to object to us doing so; and what the people don't know won't hurt them."

"And you're telling us this because…"

"I'm not totally ignorant of reality; I know just as well as you do that it only takes a few demigods revealing that my rule isn't divinely approved, so I give this little chat to every demigod come their sixteenth birthday, you two were due soon anyway. So, I'll give three options to you.

"Uno, take what you know and speak nothing of it, and you continue your lives in my service as you always have. Dos, take what you know and object, but if you should chose this, I will not hesitate to see you killed. Tres, if this is too much to bear then walk away from España and go into permanent exile, somewhere far away like Peru or the Philippines."

"Can we be exiled to France?" asked Puss, more than a little hopefully.

"All that wine, fine food, and women walking around in practically their underwear? That's not exile, that's vacation! Besides, can't risk you exposing España's secrets to the rest of the world, especially that French bastard Henry!" said Queen Isabella.

"Give'em some time to mull it over," suggested King James. "Still, I always found it was much easier to divide wizards against one another; they practically do it on their own! Plus, there's always the off chance the gods might chose to act, so good to keep your ass covered."

"You might be on to something, to the latter, and as for the rest of you, you'll have till the executions are over to decide your fate."

Ω

_**Inquisition Interrogation Chambers, Royal Palace, Madrid, Spain, 1602**_

Ryder was pulled out of the bucket of water the inquisitors had forced him under; he had no thoughts other than air, filling his lungs with the sweet air he thought he'd never breathe again. As sharp slap across the cheek soon brought him back to the reality of the situation; he had to remain mental strong, the Inquisition was going to try to wear him down as much as possible until he gave them the answers they wanted. Ryder was not about to let that happen.

"You look thirsty, perhaps more water, yes?" taunted the Grand Inquisitor.

"Are you threatening me, Master Inquisitor?" Ryder rippled with a challenging smile.

The Grand Inquisitor was not amused in the slightest, "We have other means of making you speak. Send him back to his cell!"

The Grand Inquisitor next made his way to the other end of the dimly lit room, where Waljet was having several heavy slabs of stone placed over his chest.

"My, aren't we having trouble breathing, but if you confesses to your crimes with a sí o no, then you are free. Simple as that."

Waljet locked his steely glare onto the inquisitor, "More…weight!"

"These are truly a stubborn lot! Back to the cell with him!" sighed the Grand Inquisitor as he rubbed his temples.

It took several Inquisitors, but eventually the stabs were lifted off of Waljet, and he and Ryder were escorted back to the holding cells in the dungeon. It had become common knowledge amongst the imprisoned that Waljet bore the curse of his ancestors, and as such as marked to die young; even before then, those of the curse had to deal with great pain, as Ryder noted from Waljet's constant wincing.

"Did they hurt you, Waljet?" asked Sadie, with great concern.

"Oh you know me, like a stone," laughed Waljet, trying the to mask the all too obvious agony he was in.

As Waljet considered the offer the god Anubis had made to him only a few days before these events, there was the sound of clopping hooves as an old centaur walked towards the cells.

"I wished I could see you again someday old friend, but not in these circumstances," whispered Chiron to Dr. Dumblethor.

"But better to meet me again while I am still alive than when I am dead."

"I know we agreed to the plan, but…are you absolutely this is the only way?"

Dr. Dumblethor gripped Chiron's hand as best he could through the bars of the cell, "The time has come to unite against the common enemy, and if the cause is ever to succeed it needs not just a martyr, but divine intervention."

"Oi, who's the centaur, and what are he and Dr. Dumblethor talking about?" asked Ronald.

"That is the Chiron, legendary trainer of heroes, and the minister of Campamento Mestizo," explained Beckendorf.

"Frankly I don't give a damn who he is, if he's not breaking us out, he's of no use!" sneered Lord Blackadder.

Shortly thereafter, two of the stone tiles lining the cell floors slid out of place as the Niccolò and Sir Doctor poked their heads out.

"Finally! Well, glad to see everyone's mostly okay, little worried I'd take a wrong turn at Albuquerque. Of course, that's in New Mexico, and it hasn't been founded yet…I think," said Sir Doctor.

"How did you get here?" asked Baldrick.

"Assassins have long held power in Spain, we've got secret passageways everywhere," explained Niccolò.

"No, I mean, where do Time Lords and demigods come from?"

"It like humans, it involves a machine that goes ding. Now, are we getting out of here or not?" demanded Lord Blackadder.

"I've dismissed the guards, which should buy you all just enough time, but they will suspect the truth before long," replied Chiron.

"But what will happen to you?" asked Silena, with more than a hint of fear.

Chiron gave her a confident smile, "I cannot die until my services are no longer needed. Let them send me to the harshest torment of the Inquisition, neither my body nor my sprit shall break!"

"And you have Ramirez to aid you!" said Connor, but Chiron's look of worry struck fear into his heart and a disturbing thought crept into his mind. "Oh no!"

"I tried to contact you…we don't know if it was the Inquisition or the Kurgan, but…given the state we found his body in…it suggests the Kurgan…"

Connor let out a guttural, primal howl of sorrow at the loss of a dear friend, the very man who had instructed him in the ways of the immortals all those centuries ago.

Alexandra clamped down hard on Connor's shoulders, "I never met Ramirez, but he obviously meant a lot to you. You'll have time to properly morn him later, but right now, if you want to properly honor his memory, you need to get a grip!"

Connor stopped instantly in shock, "You're the boldest lass I've met since me Heather…you're starting to grow on me! Let's move people! By now the guards will have noticed, and they'll be here soon!"

Chiron wished everyone the best of luck, and everyone quickly made their way into the underground passage; Niccolò, being the last to leave, insured the tiles were shifted back into place, leaving not even the slightest hint of an opening. The passages were incredibly dim, almost pitch black, and it was such a tight squeeze that everyone was on their hands and knees.

"Sorry if it's a bit cozy, but if it's any consolation, yes, it is in fact smaller than it looked on the outside!" said Sir Doctor.

"How is that a consolation?" asked Lord Tennyson.

"Because this way none of us get lost in the darkness!"

"Hey, I can see light from here! That must mean we're close to the exit, no?" asked Clarisse.

"We're only halfway…barely! How could there be…" but Niccolò was interrupted by several segments of the tunnel ceiling being lifted away.

As everyone's eyes adjusted to the abrupt light they found themselves facing a battalion of guards and inquisitors, with Severus Snape standing in the middle of them.

"Told you," remarked Snape, without fanfare.

"Tell me Severus, what's your secret?" asked the Grand Inquisitor as he handed a sack of coins to Snape.

"I have my sources."

The Grand Inquisitor shrugged, "Very well, that was our agreement. Search the palace for other secret passageways and have them sealed. As for these runaways, bring them to the courtyard immediately, they are to be executed by burning at the stake!"

"But what about our trial?!" demanded Kathir.

"Have you heard of the phrase "Hanged Trial"? Well, en España, we call it Grabación de Prueba, Burning Trial!"

Ω

_**Courtyard, Royal Palace, Madrid, Spain, 1602**_

The great pyres of wood loomed tall, the overcast sky making them appear even more ominous and imposing. Standing under the royal canopy, next to Queen Isabella, Perseo and Annabeth looked over to Chiron, hoping there was something, anything he could do to make it better.

"I know the troubles you are dealing with mis hijos. Long ago…in the first days of La Gran Revelación, I found myself having to face a similar dilemma; I pledged the service of all the demigods of Campamento Mestizo to the crown of España, for I feared the King Phillip, as well as those who would rule after him, would strike at us with the full might of the Spanish army. We could win many battles, hold out for a long while, but in the end they would out number us; I am charged with protecting heroes, and I could not bear the possibility of such a potential slaughter. I did what I had to do," Chiron had told them.

Perseo gazed sadly at the sky as he said the first honest prayer for the first time in several years, "I know I've never been particularly devout, but if any of you gods on Mount Olympus have any sense of justice and decency, please, save these innocent people form execution!"

Rachael frantically scanned the group of the damned until she found the girl she was looking for.

"Kot-Niz!" shouted Rachael as she rushed over to her beloved servant girl.

"Rachael!" replied Kot-Niz, for once breaking free from her shell of stoicism and letting her emotions flow forth.

"It was truly an honor and a privilege to have you as my servant girl, and…you will always be the sister I never had, always."

"You don't know how much that means to me," whispered Kot-Niz.

"They took so much from us, but this is one thing they cannot take: I grant you your freedom! Even if you should die, you will die as a free woman!" said Rachael, her voice dripping with defiance.

By now King James had taken notice of Rachael's actions, and he smacked her so hard that she fell to the ground; as a ray of sunlight poked thru the clouds, Rachael noticed it reflect off of the sword in his hand.

"Ye stupid girly! Think you can defy me do ye? Do ye!" shouted King James, but as he raised the sword, Chiron stood between him and Rachael.

"No! I won't let you harm this child!" said Chiron.

"Horsey-boy, I really don't think this is your place to poke your tail into!"

"I am a protector of children, demigod and otherwise, it is very much my place!"

King James sneered after a bit of a standoff, "Fine, then take the girl, she means nothing to me anyway!"

"But…what about the aid you promised to send to Roanoke?" protested Rachael.

"I lied. People then to do that."

"Really, considering he was so obviously behind the death of Queen Elizabeth, I'm surprised you didn't figure that out sooner!" remarked Lord Blackadder.

King James got a huge, menacing smile on his face as he approached Lord Blackadder, "Eddie! I liked you, I truly did!"

"Then, you'll free me?"

"Goodness no! I said _liked_, not like! Meaning that's all in the past, and as of right now you're first to die!"

"Well if that's so I'd just like to say…" but Lord Blackadder never got the chance to finish, for in one swift and unceremonious motion, King James lopped off Lord Blackadder's head, and soon did the same to Baldrick.

"Well, well, well; I guess some people never get, wait for it…_a head_, in life!" cackled King James as he returned to his seat.

Before following Chiron back to the canopy, Rachael felt Silena quickly press something into her hand; whatever it was, Rachael gripped it tight until she was sure none of the monarchs would notice. Rachael slowly opened her fist, and burst into tears; it was the pin of the strange Mockingjay bird, the very pin once owned by Kot-Niz. Without further delay, the execution started, with Dr. Dumblethor being the first marked to burn.

"Albus Dumblethor, you have been found guilty of sorcery, crimes against the crowns of Spain, England, Scotland, and Ireland. It is for these crimes you are to die; however, should you choose to repent, I can approve your being smothered so as to not feel the pain of the flames that are to kill you," said Queen Isabella.

Dr. Dumblethor paused for a long moment as all eyes turned towards him. "I have always thought myself an honest man, and I cannot, in good conscious, let my final words be a lie; instead, what words I leave behind are a question that perhaps we all should have pondered long ago: why? Why is it that we cannot live together in harmony, be it demigod and wizard, Englishman and Spaniard, or all of us regardless of our outward differences? In the days of the old religion, we fought over the interpretation of its scriptures, but what a brave new world we live in now, in the days of the Great Revelation. The cult of personality is a powerful thing, even the best of men, myself included, can fall victim to it, but have we not traded blind faith in the sacred for blind faith in our secular leaders? Is there truly anything that prevents us for getting alone, save what the monarchy tell us? One day this will not be so, and everyone on this Earth shall be equal and treated equal, but though I shall not live to see it, I have faith that all of you can, if you are truly willing to work towards it. To end, have can say only this: here I stand, I can do no other."

A strange hush fell over the crowd, some were awed with shock, some looked on the verge of tears, and still other looked ready to cheer for the condemned wizard. Knowing time was short; Queen Isabella motioned frantically to the executioners.

"Don't just stand there, feed him to the flames!"

Having firmly tied Dr. Dumblethor to the stake, the executioners brought forth the flaming torches, and lit the stake. The initial reaction of the crowd was soon replaced by thunderous applause and chants of "¡Fuego! ¡Fuego!" Even as the flames grew hotter and rose ever higher, Dr. Dumblethor stayed completely calm, not even the slightest hint of discomfort.

"I thought I told you idiots to make sure he wasn't fireproof!" roared Queen Isabella.

"Give it time Highness. He will break," said the lead executioner nervously.

As the minutes ticked by, Dr. Dumblethor as almost completely wreathed in flames, but never flinched once. This was especially troubling to Queen Isabella, for she had ordered the condemned to be killed one at a time, so as to draw out the execution and make her political statement loud and clear.

"But…I have forced you…to your lowest point!" snarled Queen Isabella.

Dr. Dumblethor gazed over to her calmly a thunder rumbled in the distance. "It is when we hit our lowest point that we are open to the greatest change."

With those final words, Dr. Dumblethor closed his eyes and let the flames fully consume him, just as a bolt of lightning struck the burning pyre. The blast of deafeningly loud and knocked everyone to their feet; as the thick smoke cleared, everyone could see that Dr. Dumblethor and the pyre were completely gone; in their place stood the mighty thunder god Thor.

"I'm disappointed in you James and Isabella! Very disappointed!" said Thor as he leisurely made his way to the royal canopy.

"I think I just soiled me ceremonial armor!" whimpered King James.

"Trust me, he's nothing compared to who's on their way!" said Bes as he burst out of a casket of wine.

"They are an ancient race that even the gods respect," purred Bast as she swung down from the palace turrets.

"Not that you shouldn't be afraid of having angered three…well, technically four, pantheons of gods!" added Dionysus as he materialized from a cloud of purple mist.

"No! You…you've never intervened before!" stammered Queen Isabella.

"We have our limits, and we've just about reached them," replied Dionysus. "But really, you should concern about what's shortly to come."

"Who are they? From where do they come?"

"Ask Roanoke's first child," said Bast. "They visit in her dreams."

All eyes turned to Rachael. "The Watchers? Here? But that's impos…"

Before Rachael could finish, there were several bright flashes of violet and magenta light, accompanied by a jumble of musical notes that weren't set to any particular tune or style. With every flash of the strange light there appear to be some kind of sailing ship materializing in the air; when the ship was almost fully materialize an anchor was tossed for aboard it…just as the ship lodged it's figurehead into the royal palace. A group of seven individuals descended from the ship by floating down on…parasols? Though she wasn't sure what the devises they floated on were, Rachael recognized the individual immediately.

"Arthur! Nick, Holly, and…are they Watchers too?" asked Rachael as she rushed over to them with overwhelming joy.

"Yes for Aria, she's the vampire girl, and Theo, he's the minotaur boy. As for Mary Poppins here…well, she's a bit more," said Arthur as he gave Rachael a hug.

Rachael frowned, "What do you mean, more than a Watcher?"

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy," replied Mary Poppins with a warm smile.

"William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act 1 Scene 5, in case you didn't know," said Nick.

Holly clapped her hands together. "So, those of you who aren't in on the conspiracy probably want an explanation; my name is Holly, the vampire guy is Nick, the elf boy is Arthur, and he's already introduced Aria, Theo, and Mary Poppins. All of us, save Mary Poppins, are Watchers; not exactly gods, but advanced beings that ascended long ago to a realm called the ethereal plane, where we watch the evens of all possible universes play out, hence our name. Unfortunately, you universe is in danger of being destroyed, and this destruction could spread to other universes as well; fortunately, we're here to help you save your universe and all other universes currently threatened."

Every stared in awed silence, not giving any indication of whether they had comprehended what Holly had just told them.

"Laying it on thick much?" quipped Aria.

"I was giving rapped-fire introduction because times' of the essence! Besides, at least they didn't go completely mad, unlike some Watchers we know…"

"I forgot to put on my glamor! Honest mistake…"

"That only armature Watchers make!"

"Tut, tut girls," scolded Mary Poppins. "Mistakes happen to us all, and perhaps it was a bit much for these material beings to comprehend. Let's fix that, shall we?"

Mary Poppins' eyes started glowing light blue, as she opened her umbrella slightly all of the Watchers' eyes started glowing as well, and by the time she had opened it all the way everyone's eyes were glowing. Everyone within the immediate vicinity was filled with a perfect understanding of everything the Watchers had desperately trying to convey to them; as Mary Poppins closed the umbrella, everyone's eyes returned to normal.

"There, better?"

As everyone nodded in agreement Spymaster Bond forced his way thru the crowd; Aria and Theo, for their part, were not pleased in the slightest to see him.

"You're here! You're all really here!" laughed Spymaster Bond with glee.

Aria unceremoniously slapped Spymaster Bond across the face. "We wouldn't need to be here if you'd gone with the plan!"

"Granted, but I've got a plan that'll insure peace throughout Europe for generations to come!"

"Hello! Aren't you forgetting the part about the multiverse being in danger of total collapse?!" exclaimed Theo.

"I'm aware of that, but I'm also aware of the fact that you said I was to unite the forces of demigods and wizards. This inspired me to contact some of my associates, and together we have set in motion a series of crimes to frame both the wizards AND the demigods; Europe will unite against a common enemy, and peace will forever extend throughout the land!"

"So the demigods and wizards, how do they benefit from this exactly?" asked Aria.

Bond shrugged, "A necessary sacrifice to ensure the safety and stability of the masses."

"Whoa, back up. You guys were contacting Bond?" asked Nick.

Theo frowned. "Thought you knew after the comment Bond made back in Paris."

"Well, looks like I'm not the only Watcher who makes mistakes!" said Aria as she glared at Holly.

"You totally set me up!"

"Guys! Focus!" shouted Arthur, with such a literal power of authority that everyone in the crowd snapped to attention.

"He's quite right you know," said Mary Poppins. "Now, Mr. Bond, I'm afraid we simply cannot involve ourselves in your plan."

"Dear Lady, I am most certain you know not the force you're dealing with," chuckled Spymaster Bond.

Mary Poppins gave a nod and the Watchers sent out beams of blue light that instantly transformed segments into higher dimensional forms; the completely alien non-Euclidian geometry, and the colors that material beings seldom glimpsed, were so incomprehensible to the material beings of 1602 that they shut their eyes as tight as possible, while clutching their heads and screaming out in pain. The Watchers gave a few snaps and returned the palace to normal.

"Now then, I trust you naughty monarchs will be good to your subjects from now on. For if you don't, we will find out," said Mary Poppins.

"One Iris message and I will raise seven bloody hells!" growled Bond.

"FYI, that whole mission about Dr. Julius No, he faked it," said Nick.

"What?" exclaimed Ryder.

"Joke was, there was NO doctor," said Arthur. "He was selling secrets to the Spanish government, for top coin."

"Why you worthless, no good…" but Spymaster Bond never got the chance to finish, for not long after that, Mary Poppins turned him into a chalk drawing; then it started to rain.

"Right, any other volunteer to become chalk drawings?" asked Arthur with a mischievous smile. "No? Well then, release the prisoners, and we'll be on our marry way to Roanoke aboard our flying ship."

Queen Isabella and King James were more than willing to comply with the Watchers' demands, and before long everyone, including new additions such as Shrek (whom, Mary Poppins insisted would find much waiting for him in the New World) and Chiron, had boarded.

"Good Watchers, you will keep this business of my divine right to rule being void a secret…won't you?" asked Queen Isabella nervously.

"And we really don't need to get into me involvement with the assassination of Queen Bess…oh damn, I said that aloud!" said King James.

"That's right, your subjects don't know," said Arthur.

"Someone really should fix that," said Holly as she glanced at the four gods that we're among the last to load onto the ship.

As the ship rose higher and higher into the air, the two monarchs exchanged uneasy glances with one another; for they both knew they were to be the last of a once might institution, it was all a matter of time now. The flying ship was relatively simple, for one owned by Watchers, but they had explained that this was to make it more comprehendible to the denizens of 1602.

"Sorry we took so long, but we're here, and since Thor's giving us a good head wind, we should reach Roanoke by tomorrow," said Nick.

Harry looked at the watcher with some mix of fear and sadness. "Dr. Dumblethor is…"

"I'm afraid so."

Chiron gave Harry a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "He knew the ritual to revive Thor would require a sacrifice, and he also knew he'd work best of all. He was the most wonderful wizard in the world, and he has touched all of our lives, even if we weren't consciously aware of it."

Harry took a moment to inhale sharply. "He will be given tears in time, but I sense there is business now."

"Ms. Everdeen. Mr. Pendragon. Would either of you care to elaborate on that?" asked Arthur.

Roberto and Kot-Niz exchanged knowing smiles with one another.

"Well, for starters, my name, my real name, is Bobby Pendragon," said Roberto.

"And my real name…is Katniss Everdeen," said Kot-Niz.

**Of course! We've just reached the big reveal, and you're gonna have to wait till the next (and final) chapter to get the full details! We, sorry it took this one so long to get out (computer trouble), and that's why the ending was a bit rushed, but I feel it worked, and next time we'll get to see my favorite chapter. You guys made it this far, you can make it to the end. Stay tuned dear readers, and do review ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

**This is it, after all the trials and tribulations; we've finally reached the last chapter. So enough blabbering on my part, let's get started!**

_**Supreme Court of the Capitol, Panem, 5010**_

Bobby Pendragon and Katniss Everdeen, along all of their friends and family, had officially hit rock bottom. The evil Traveler known as Saint Dane had succeeded in turning the once pristine Third Earth into the nightmare world of Panem; although Bobby and his fellow Travelers had joined forces with Katniss and the rebels of the twelve districts of Panem (as well as the fabled District 13) against the forces of the Capitol, led by President Snow (really Saint Dane in disguise), in the end it was all just an elaborate chess game. In the end, even President Coin was just another disguise used by Saint Dane (or, rather, is apprentice Neeva Winter). With the rebels captured, the Capitol was holding a mock-court hearing to decide their fate.

"Order! There will be order in the court!" demanded Saint Dane as he banged his gavel. "In the case of _Pendragon-Everdeen vs. Panem_, this court finds the defendants…guilty on all charges! Ergo, you are all sentenced to molecular disassembly!"

The court room erupted into a tidalwave of protest, but the peacekeepers were quick to silence the protest, and before long everyone was drifting into unconsciousness. When they awakened, Bobby and Katniss found themselves strapped to steel tables alongside the man they knew only as The Doctor.

"I don't suppose you've got a way out of this?" asked Katniss.

"Not at the moment, but I always think up a solution…eventually," said The Doctor.

"Are we all comfortable?" asked Saint Dane mockingly as he peered over at the trapped trio.

"Depends, what'll piss you off more?" asked Bobby, the spark of defiance still glowing bright in his eyes.

Saint Dane laughed. "Even when I've taken everything from you, you still defy me! But then, that is why I am about to do what I am. Throughout history there have been rulers, and there have been rebels; sure, the rulers can kill as many rebels as they like, but for every martyr you slaughter 1000 more spring-up to take their place. If you truly want to crush a rebellion, you must crush the spirits of your enemies!"

"So no bodies, no ashes, not even atoms; nothing that could be used as a symbol for the people to rally around," said Katniss.

"Indeed, I'll say you're all alive, but that you repented your views and are serving time for your crimes."

Suddenly the Doctor's eyes went wide. "So…where's the TARDIS?"

"Oh, that pile of scrap? In another disintegration chamber; like I said, can't leave anything that could be used for catching fire!"

"Listen to me; you don't want to do that!"

"Am I, I will, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" called Saint Dane as he exited the room.

"How bad?" asked Bobby.

"You know the Big Bang? If the TARDIS explodes it'll make that look like a firecracker!"

A three-pronged metal claw decided from the ceiling, and the tips turned lime green as they started spinning; the trio gritted their teeth as the cells of their bodies desperately fought to stay together, but they all knew this would be it…or it would have been, if a burst of multi-colored light hadn't filled the room. Bobby might have compared the sensation to traveling thru a flume, if it hadn't been for the fact the journey through the tunnel of swirling light was much more like being shot out of a cannon on a roller coaster! Before long everyone was so overwhelmed by the sensory overload that they blacked-out.

Ω

_**Isle of Roanoke, New World, 1492 **_

Katniss was the first to regain consciousness; she couldn't possibly have known it at the time, but the burst of light resulting from the teleportation of she and her fellow rebels had been so bright that in the distant Caribbean it had been noticed by one Christopher Columbus. Slowly getting on her feet again, she found that the group had been transported to a large open field near a marsh; she couldn't say why, but for some reason it reminded her of District 12, if only vaguely.

"We're alive!" exclaimed Bobby as he regained his senses.

"Not for long if we don't find food and shelter."

As if in response, as group of copper-skinned men dressed in deerskins and wielding bows and arrows approached the group. After some shaky introductions due to the language barrier, it was determined that the men were of a tribe known as the Secotan, and were willing to help the time-displaced rebels. Over the next few months the rebels would learn the way of the Secotan and other native peoples, and this would prove invaluable in helping them survive in the new universe they had inadvertently created, and to help rebuild their shattered lives. However, the energy of the TARDIS still surged within them, and soon the group found themselves transported forward in time to 1585, where they would save the fledgling colony of Roanoke during its first winter in the New World; then they would be transported one final time to the year 1602, and the start of a bold adventure to determine not just their fate, but the fate of all universes.

_**Airspace near Roanoke, aboard the Rose Nowhere, 1602**_

"After we saved Roanoke during that first winter we were transported again, only this time we traveled sixteen years into the future, and that when we met Rachael and her people," concluded Katniss.

"What I'd like to know is how did Mr. Pendragon arrive in the company of the Spanish Court?" asked Mary Poppins as she summoned a tea kettle.

"Traveling, and I'm a bit of a smooth talker," admitted Bobby.

"But why did you pretend to know so little when all this time you speak most fluently?" asked Rachael.

"We looked odd to your people as it was, and speaking your language would only raise more questions."

"Then your people's goodwill and comradeship…twas all a ruse?"

Katniss clapped her hand to Rachael's shoulder. "Make no mistake, we might have had to hide who we really are, but our feelings our genuine. How could we possible fake it? Our peoples are one, and you are…truly my sister, even if not by blood."

"Oh Katniss!" said Rachael as she gave the time-displaced girl a hug.

"There are some really obvious implications there, but I'm not commenting," remarked Nick.

It was mutually decided that the _Rose Nowhere_ would be brought down onto the waters surrounding the Island of Roanoke, for landing in the center of town was sure to cause a panic amongst the colonists. As the _Rose Nowhere _approached the beach, Ananias Dare, governor of the Roanoke colony, and his native servants Pe-Ta and Gale (in reality, Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthorne) stood waiting, and reached with much surprise when the entirety of the crew made their way to shore.

"New tribe from across great water?" asked Gale.

"Save it, they know the truth about who we really are," said Katniss.

Governor Dare stared wide-eyed at everyone, bur especially Katniss. "You…speak such fluent English!"

"Make ready the town hall Father, there is much we must speak of regarding my voyage to Europe," said Rachael.

Ω

Governor Dare allowed the eclectic band to use the colony's town hall as a temporary residence until more permanent means could be found; given the time-sensitive nature of the mission the watcher used their powers to send all relevant information directly into Governor Dare's mind.

"I know this must be a lot to take in, but we must help them. The fates of all worlds hang in the balance!" pleaded Rachael.

"I know we live in an age of philosophy and alchemy, but this…yet, I consider myself a man who does not turn away those in need. Whatever you need, the colony say provide," said Governor Dare.

"Well for starters you could point us in the direction of any unusual activity," suggested Aria.

Peeta smiled. "I can help with that."

Ω

The group broke off into two primary factions, one to join Peeta and the Watchers, and the other to spread the word amongst the colonist and rebels of the latest happenings.

"You'd think the Watchers would have been able to alter everyone at once," remarked Alexandra.

"You know, for such advance beings they can act quite human at times," said Ryder.

"So, are you alright, about Bond I mean?"

Ryder said nothing for a long minute. "I've gotten used to disappointment by now."

"Any family to go back to?" asked Alexandra.

Ryder shook his head. "Bond was the closest thing I had. I guess…well just look at all these houses! Not London by a longshot, but still, such growth in so little a time!"

"My family had been thinking about moving to Roanoke, that is, after my brothers and I finish school. We've never really fit in anywhere, and Roanoke is said to be more relaxed than other places."

"Have you considered the Dutch Republic?"

"Even they have their limits, and we weren't about to try Spain's colonies; they'd have us toiling in the silver mines and we'd be dead in three years," said Alexandra.

"I know! So tragic how the Inca will often cripple their children so that they won't be sacrificed to the mines, and it's not much better for the Aztecs and other native peoples."

"Maybe after this is all done we go stay here, start a new life in a New World, and do as we please with ourselves!"

"I like the way you think!" said Ryder

Ω

Meanwhile, Peeta lead the Watchers into a marsh that was often referred to as a place of strange happenings in the legends of the native peoples, and it didn't take long to see why. It was a rip in the fabric of reality, but it only looked like a slight distortion of the air (albeit, on that was constantly spewing out blue sparks) to the average eyes, but the Watchers could see the extent of its impact.

"Damn, should have seen that coming," muttered Arthur.

"What's wrong?" asked Bobby.

"Remember how Rachael mentioned a flume in her prophecy? Well you're looking at it," said Holly.

"But that looks nothing like a flume!"

"Because it's a failed flume," said Theo. "The flumes you know were made using the positive energy of Halla, and while the energy of the TARDIS is very similar, it still has too many differences to create an actual flume."

"But you can fix it…can't you?" asked Ronald.

"The flume is treaded to other worlds like a thread in a tapestry; if we just pull it out everything will unravel even faster," said Holly.

"Stiff upper lip everyone! There's always a solution if you use a little imagination and positive thinking!" Mary Poppins chimed.

The Doctor clapped his hands together excitedly and started drawing equations in the mud with a stick; everyone gathered around, and the Watchers made corrections occasionally, but before long the equations was completed.

"Could it really have been that simple all this time?" wondered Nick.

"Believe it, because it's right there!" said Arthur, a huge smile on his face.

"What's it all about?" asked Perseo.

"I've seen these marking before! Alchemy, right?" asked Annabeth.

"Correct!" said The Doctor. "And do you know what alchemy's first law of equivalent exchange is, or has that been discovered yet?"

"To obtain, something of equal value must be lost?"

"Exactly! Now, alchemy is all about balancing the equation, and close this flume and get my TARDIS back we're going to exchange everyone from the future…by sending them thru the flume to their proper time!"

Katniss lost her footing for a brief moment. "I could have sworn you said we're going back to Panem, but you say that did you?"

"Well of course we are! We don't belong here, and the time stream knows it, which is why the flume's getting worse."

"Then what are we standing around here for, we should assemble everyone!" said Arthur.

Ω

Before long the entire town as assembled as the Watchers explained the plan to save the multiverse.

"The process is relatively simple: we'll start by drawing up the transmutation circle and having the Travelers place their rings in the center and focus their energy onto that, which will provide our burst of positive energy from Halla," explained Nick.

"Next, Lord Tennyson will transform into Loadstar and provide a magnetic boost to help us manipulate the flume, and Thor will manipulate lightning to help with this as well," added Holly.

"Finally, to complete to process, all of you will enter the flume and be teleported back to your own time," concluded Arthur.

"But we can't go back there, it's a nightmare!" objected Patrick Mac.

"Two words: Hunger Games!" sneered Johanna Mason.

"Listen to them!" pleaded Rachael. "Would you rather the universe end?"

Several of the Travelers and rebels honestly seemed to consider this as an option before Gunny Van Dyke stepped forward to address the group.

"I am truly disappointed in all of you! Here I thought you represent the best mankind had to offer, the ones who were willing to stand up for what's right even when everyone else threw in the towel. Sure, Saint Dane fooled us all, and maybe we're down, but we sure ain't out! No sir, as long as there is as much as one of us willing to stand up to that demon and fight for what's right, then he is always doomed to fail!"

There was a moment of hushed awe that fell over the crowd as everyone silently agreed to go forward with the plan.

"Now do be warned, once the reaction has started there will be no turning back. I trust everyone understands this," said Mary Poppins.

Before long everyone was facing the flume, even ragtag crew from Europe and some of the colonist had tagged along to see the Travelers and rebels off. The Watchers willed the soil to form a perfect transmutation circle, and the Travelers placed their rings in the center of the circle and focus all their will as instructed; the circle began to glow with blue light as the flume rapidly expanded and contracted.

"Thor, Tennyson, now!" commanded the Watchers in unison, their eyes glowing blue as they focused their powers onto the flume.

Lord Tennyson transformed into the being he had named Loadstar, and sent out a powerful magnetic field towards the flume; likewise, Thor called down great bolts of lightning, and directed them at the flume using his hammer. For a while the flume shifted about wildly as great gusts of wind and clashes of thunder surged around the island in response, but eventually the flume calmed down (though not the weather).

"Okay, this is it! Everybody from the future needs to get in the flume now!" boomed Arthur.

The group filed into the flume slowly but surely, not knowing what horror that might find, but willing to face them none the less, and before long Katniss, her little sister Prim, and The Doctor were the only ones left.

The Doctor frowned. "Something not right, according to my readings we haven't exchanged enough to balance the equation. What could be…wait, did anyone see Pendragon go through?"

"No," said Harry.

"Not as far as I could see," said Perseo.

"Find him! Hurry!" shouted the Watchers.

"What happens if we don't find him in time?" asked Prim as the group split up to look for Bobby.

"Them it isn't an equivalent exchange."

"Then what happens?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know!" said The Doctor.

Before long Katniss, Prim, The Doctor, Perseo, and Harry found Bobby; he was standing on a pile of rocks with his shirt off, and his face painted blue with a white letter-A on his forehead.

"We gotta go Pendragon!" called The Doctor.

"No! I'm staying!"

"The world is falling apart! It's time to face facts!" shouted Katniss.

"This is a chance to build a better America from the beginning, we don't have to make the same mistakes the we did, we can prevent Panem from ever forming, and stop Saint Dane!"

"And you'll build your nation with what, a few hundred colonist?" asked Harry sarcastically.

"They may be small, but they can become a great people! They will become a great people! I will make them proud to be Americans, and we will be a land where everyone is truly free and equal!"

"If you want to build you better start with coffins, because we'll all be dead soon unless you get in the flume!" yelled Perseo.

"I may not have gotten a chance to meet the Percy Jackson and Harry Potter of my timeline, but I know that they were both great men, and their legends lived on for generations. Even without having met them, I know that they would have wanted this, and deep down so do you!"

Perseo and Harry gave a nod to one-another and climbed onto the rock pile and clasped hands with Bobby, who smiled triumphantly.

"Hey Pendragon, you know the Percy and Harry from your timeline?" asked Harry.

"Yeah?"

Before Bobby had time to react Harry and Perseo punched him so hard he was knocked unconscious.

"Well, we're not them!" said Perseo.

Katniss and The Doctor slung Bobby over their shoulders, and the group quickly made a mad dash for the flume, but before they could get there they were greeted by the sound of evil cackling.

"New World, New World!" sang the Kurgan as he suddenly appeared.

"Oh come on! How could you possibly get here!" exclaimed Katniss.

"I have my ways! Now then, let's make a deal: let me go through the flume to the future, where I will be the only immortal left to claim The Prize, and maybe I won't kill you all!"

"You can't! It'll tilt the equation in the wrong direction and disrupt the transmutation!" shouted The Doctor.

"Kurgan! Pick on someone your own age!" shouted Atticus as he held Fragarach high.

The Kurgan's smile grew wider. "You've saved me the trouble of tracking you down O'Sullivan! I'll gladly fight!"

This time it was Atticus' turn to smile. "You're slipping, immortals are forbid to fight on a sacred ground!"

The Kurgan frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm a druid, and we consider to Earth itself to be scared ground!"

"Oh now that's just not fair!" said the Kurgan, the smile on his face not wavering for a bit as a lightning bolt struck him dead.

Before long the group had made their way back to the flume, but something was very wrong; the glowing symbols had now turned blood red, and the Watchers were visibly straining to keep the flume under control.

"W-what happened?" asked Harry.

"You took too long, and now the reactions growing unstable!" said Theo.

"There has to be something," said Perseo.

"There is, but it's borderline unethical…"

"Arthur!" chastised the other Watchers.

"We need to sacrifice a human soul to balance the equation!"

"I'll do it!" said Batman as he stepped forward from the crowd.

"No, I will. I've lived long enough as it is," said Connor.

"You've learned a lot in your long life, use it to make the world a better place."

"But look at you, you're a hero!" exclaimed Connor.

Batman locked eyes with the immortal. "A hero can be anyone, even a man who does something as simple as put a coat around a young boy's shoulders to let him know the world hasn't ended and that someone still cares."

The realization dawned on Connor. "You, you're Bruce Wayne!"

Batman gave a small nod as he stepped onto the transmutation circle; the light turned blindingly white and Batman was gone, but then it returned to its original blue color.

"It worked! Now go!"

Rachael desperately wanted to say some final words to Katniss, but all see could do was watch as her surrogate sister, along with Prim, The Doctor, and the unconscious Bobby, entered the flume and left the world of 1602.

"That's everyone! Let's close it up!" shouted Arthur.

The flume surged with energy that threatened to consume everything, and the world seemed to be filled with nothing but a flood of blue light. However, when the light died down the Watchers found themselves…standing in the ethereal court of the Grand Watchers.

"Random fluctuations of space-time! We're on trial?" asked Aria.

"You could say that," said Giles the Great.

Ω

_**Ethereal Court of the Watchers, Ethereal Plane **_

"Let's see what the charges are…saving the world? Really now?" asked Great Watcher Caesar (who currently took the form of a great dragon).

"This is a clear breach of Watcher's Code, and must be dealt with swiftly!" declared Avatar Kyoshi.

"Hello, we wouldn't even be here if it weren't for them!" countered Avatar Korra.

"What is life, but just a random collection of particles?" mused Dr. Manhattan.

"Perhaps a compromise; we punish them by Watching New Jersey in the time of the one called The Situation, as an alternative to exiling them to the outer darkness," suggested Avatar Roku.

"No, I think Korra right, and they should be rewarded instead!" said Avatar Aang.

"I'm in favor of letting them off the hook as well," said Promethea the Imaginative. "Besides, we've gotten to stuffy and bogged down with all these rules and regulations!"

"Then it's settled. Young Watchers you will…_not_ be banished. Furthermore, in order to teach you proper responsibility, you will all personally watch over the new universe that has been created in this series of events," said Caesar.

The Young Watchers were completely static with joy, and they nearly hugged the old dragon for his mercy.

"Thank you so much sir, you won't be disappointed!" said Holly.

"One more thing: from now on we Watchers shall work to nurture the positive spirit of humanity throughout the FanFiction, but in subtle ways, such as visiting characters in their dreams. However, I think I can let you five get physical just one more time," said the ancient dragon with a twinkle in his eye.

Ω

_**Roanoke Colony, New World, 1602**_

Everyone slowly got to their feet and waited for their eyes to adjust to the first rays of a new sun as they look to see…the flume, it was gone!

"They did it…they really did it!" exclaimed Rachael, her hands raised in joy.

"Is the flume gone?" asked Lord Tennyson, who had reverted to his human form as was collapsed in exhaustion.

"Aye, we have, but now Thor must leave your company to return to Asgard, or whatever remains of it. Should you ever need of my help, don't be afraid to call for me, Thor helps all," said Thor, and with that he swung his hammer pile a propeller and was flying away.

"Hey, where did the Watchers go?" asked Perseo.

"Yoo-hoo, we're over here!" called Arthur as he and his fellow Watchers materialized.

"You saved us!" said Hermione.

"We can take all the credit, everyone played a role in saving the multiverse, but it's just too bad…oh, right!"

Before long an image of The Doctor, Katniss, and Bobby flickered into appearance before the assembled group.

"Didn't think we'd leave without a proper farewell did you?" said The Doctor with a triumphant smile on his face.

Rachael rushed to embrace Katniss, but alas, she only went through the image, which flickered slightly before refocusing.

"Try not to do that again; even with the power of a supernova the TARDIS is seriously straining a lot to be transmitted to your universe," said The Doctor.

"Beg pardon?"

"We're blowing up a star, just to say goodbye to you!" said Katniss, tears of joy rolling now her face.

"Some say they'd give the world, but here you've given a star just to see me one final time!" said Rachael, with some joyful tears of her own.

"Then, you got your TARDIS back?" asked Niccolò.

"Yes I did, and, we won the war!"

"Not that it matters much," sighed Bobby.

"Doesn't matter? When all others had given up you guys stood up to Saint Dane's tyranny and restored the positive spirit of Halla, proving the inerrant goodness within all sentient beings. I'd say that's a very big deal," said Arthur.

"You must be quite rushed, but I must ask…"

"The reason I know so much about magic and alchemy? Well you see, in some universes they call me Merlin!" said The Doctor.

"Well, I was going to ask if you had any final advice, though, I must admit that I wondered that as well," said Rachael.

"Don't just build a better America, build a better world," said Bobby.

"Know that at times the world can seem a dark and uncaring place, but believe me, I have seen the worst of it, and yet I can tell you there is always more good in it than evil," said Katniss.

With that final teary farewell Katniss, Bobby, and The Doctor began to fade until they had completely vanished.

"But how can we?"

"Well, I'd say this colony's grow enough to be a decent starting point," said Nick.

"No more kings and queens, that didn't work out so well in Europe, and it certainly won't work here!" said Holly.

"No more kings and queens? That's crazy talk! Incidentally, where's that surprise you said was waiting for me?" asked Shrek, who was promptly hit over the he with a rolling pen by his wife Fiona.

"You've been hanging out with that James Stuart bastard too long! You're getting just as dense as he!" Fiona chastised.

"And the other's, they're here too?"

"Aye, and a lot more," Fiona smiled.

"Back to topic, that no royalty bit, not so bad when you really get down to it," mused Chiron.

"Not going to be easy," purred Bast.

"Hey, we got this far didn't we? How hard could it be?" laughed Ginevra.

"And make sure all people, and that means _all people_, are treated equal," said Aria.

Suddenly Mary Poppins descended from the sky using her umbrella to float down slowly, and she was soon followed by a great and ancient dragon.

"Good day everyone! I trust you all remember who I am, and now allow me to introduce you to the Great Watcher himself, Caesar," said Mary Poppins.

"Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, or whatever time of day it is, it is most certainly a good one!" said Caesar with a huge smile on his face. "I'm sure you're eager to start a new world together, but I'm afraid it's time for your Watchers to return to the Ethereal Plane once more."

"But, there's so much more they have to tell us!" Annabeth objected.

"But you'll see them in your dreams quite soon! Though, they won't be physically interacting with you anytime soon, Watcher's Code and all that, they will be guiding you from behind the scenes, as will," said Caesar.

"Then, this is goodbye," said Rachael.

"Only until next time," said Arthur as he gave her a huge.

"Goodbye everyone," said Nick.

"See you in your dreams!" said Holly.

"Nice meeting everyone in person!" said Aria.

"Darn it! I didn't think of anything cool to say!" said Theo.

The Watchers became surrounded by a golden shimmering light, and before long they had completely faded away. Perseo and Harry shook hands as a final symbolic act of the ending of all hostilities, and together the group walked toward the Assembly of Roanoke to present their ideas for shaping the fledgling nation. As they walked Rachael tapped Lord Tennyson on the shoulder.

"The stars are mostly lovely at night here in Roanoke."

"Are they now?" asked Lord Tennyson.

"Indeed, care to view them with me, perhaps tomorrow night?" asked Rachael.

"Ms. Dare, I would love nothing more!"

**The End**

**Whew! Finally, we're finished! Now I can…**

**Why Arthur? Why didn't you include me? **

**Oh Grover, I mean to write in the scene in Venice, but I got distracted and…**

**What about me?! I deserved way more screen time than you gave me!**

**Annabeth I had a lot of characters to…**

**What about me? You forget to say I merged with Anubis and cured my curse, or do you like seeing me in pain?**

**Walt…**

**What about us? Lots of cool Harry Potter characters you ignored!**

**Neville, Luna, Fred, George, everybody…**

**My characterization was wrong! I wasn't in enough scenes! I wasn't in this at all! I wanted to go bowling! I'm Rick James, bitch! I…**

**SHUT UP! Okay, went overboard on the characters and the references, and the plot suffered. I should have showed the world of 1602 better and not told, but then again I kind of wished I'd picked a different period in history about halfway thru. The above criticisms are legit (except for Rick James and the guy who wanted to go bowling!). I was going to elaborate more on certain characters (like revealing that Mario and Luigi were supposed to be immortals), and I really wanted to write a different story. However, in the end I learned some important lessons about writing (like not going overboard with shout-outs and references, what works in one medium doesn't translate to another all the time, etc.), and if nothing else, you guys seemed to like it. So, will I return to the world of 1602? Probably not, but I might reboot the concept in a different time period (perhaps PJO meets Fullmetal Alchemist and Spice & Wolf in the year 1632, or something involving time travel), but for now, I'm working in the present day, but maybe something involving Rosario+Vampire, or League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Anyway, thanks for sticking with me, and here's hoping what I learned from this leads to even better Fics in the future,**

**Arthur Drakoni. **


End file.
